Drowning Harvest Moon Magical Melody
by DeadlyxSin
Summary: This is my first time posting and I'm a huge harvest moon fan so if you have any comments or critique please tell me just...nothing too harsh mk? 3    Its rated M for further content  *cough* lemons *cough*  and possible language XD
1. Chapter 1: New life on the Island

Chapter 1: Beginning of a New Life

I walked into the dimly lit town as the sun quietly rose into the sky. There was word that Flower Bud Village was searching for a farmer to move in, and me having almost no money went willingly. There was no family to say goodbye to so goodbyes were nothing. No friends to wish me good luck in my new life, so no having to write back. My ratty apartment had scarcely anything that was mine, so nothing to bring along as a memory. It was as if I had never existed to begin with. Sometimes, it would've been better that way.

_'Stop talking like that! That's the reason you moved here!'_

"Hey you there! Are you the one that applied for the _Exciting Ranch Plan_?" Mayor Theodore shouted, running towards me. I nodded slightly as he smiled a creepily big smile.

"Excellent! Now as you previously selected you wanted the Ocean View plot correct?" Again I nodded. "It's a fairly big lot, but the soil quality isn't as good. I'm sure you are well aware of this already so let me take you there."

We walked silently into the semi lit town, watching the animals slowly arise from their nightly slumber. I myself was a night owl, but recently dreams of a goddess living here plagued my dreams. She told me about how people of her land had forgotten what it was like to love and was turned to stone by such hatred. It was sad, but her helpers Arthur, Billy, and Carlos reassured me she could be resurrected by collecting 'notes'. These 'notes' supposedly were going to bring her back through the power of love, but that was very unlikely.

"Well, here is your house Miss Jinx. Please make sure to introduce yourself around town and get aquatinted with your neighbors. I must be on my way now." Mayor Thomas ran quickly away, leaving me in front of a run down wooden house. It was pretty cramped, but seeing as I was to live alone, this size would have to do.

"Hey you!" A voice shouted harshly, causing me to slightly jump out of my skin. I turned slightly to see a boy a lil taller than me, glaring at me through the brim of his cowboy hat. His semi long violet hair hung by his shoulders, giving him the appearance of a ranch worker.

"I don't know why you moved here, but I will save her not you!" He growled, pointing an accusing finger at me. My hand swiped it out of my face, giving him anything but an emotional face.

"I don't care if your the king of england. This is a group effort and if you don't want to help then I'll do it myself. I have been all my life," I mumbled the last part to myself. He 'humped' and then stalked away, most likely to prove he's got it under control. I looked at my run down house again before opening the door, allowing the sun beams to light the small room.

It had a small kitchen with a mini fridge with a few things to start off with. A make shift bed laid in the other side of the room next to a tool chest. A small wooden table filled the center of the room with two dining chairs. Overall, it was small enough for one person to live here. I kicked off my shoes, walking to the bed and laying down gently onto the down feather mattress. Within seconds, I was out cold.

I woke up to a silent rapping on my front door. My chocolate eyes scanned the room to see my digital clock read six o' clock.

"Who the hell is up this early?" I grumbled, walking towards the door while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The door opened slightly to reveal a short brunette standing in the doorway with a puppy on her heals. She wore a simple yellow dress with an apron and her aurora seemed to shine with happiness around her.

"Hi there! You must be Jinx the new rancher! Welcome to Flower Bud Village!" She said enthusiastically, bowing her head in respect. "I'm Ellen! Me along with my father Hank, brother Blue, and helper Bob we all run the Blue Sky Ranch." I nodded, making a mental note to visit for some animals.

"Anyway, I'm here because of this lil guy right here." She picked him up as he yelped happily, sliming her face. His almost dark chocolate eyes shinned at me as a big dog grin came to his face. He barked from Ellen's hands, struggling to get out. I chuckled, holding my hands out for the puppy as he gracefully jumped into my awaiting arms.

"He was born on our farm but we can't keep him. Would you like to?" She giggled slightly as the dog began to slime my face.

"Sure!" I said enthusiastically. The dog barked happily, slimming me even more if it was possible. I pulled him away slightly to speak. "How about Avery? Do you like your name Avery?" Avery barked again, throwing himself into my face for another round of licking.

Ellen stayed to chat for a little bit before returning home. Avery was running recklessly around the yard, chasing squirrels within the land. I began de-weeding my lawn so crops can grow soon. The sun shinned brightly in the mid spring day, a slight breeze hitting every now and then. Beads of sweat slowly poured down my skin due to the tedious non stop work. I was so consumed into my work that I hadn't heard the shouts of protests and barking.

"Avery! What's wrong boy?" I shouted, dusting my hands off onto my overalls. He happily turned around, wagging his tail next to the tree he was barking at. I ran over, glancing up in the tree to see two boys sitting up there with fear clearly in their eyes. They both had brown hair and eyes, but one had a star blue bandana while the other wore more of an army color attire. The army boy gave off a cold isolated feeling while the other gave a warm bubbly feeling.

"Call off your dog will ya?" The army boy said, clinging desperately to the tree branch he was perched on. The star boy nodded, clinging to his side of the tree. I picked the happy Avery up, watching as both boys visibly relaxed only to tense by an elderly voice shouting.

"Kurt! Joe! I sent you guys out for wood not to goof off!" The elderly looking man ran up to the tree to see both of the boys holding on to dear life. He sighed before turning to me.

"So sorry about this Jinx. I'm Woody the carpenter right across the road." He pointed to the wooden building with various materials sprawled around it. "These are my apprentices and grandsons Kurt and Joe who as you can see are stuck in your tree for some unknown reason." He pointed to the army guy first and then the star guy before sighing.

"I have no idea either. Avery just wanted to play with them." I shrugged, showing him the orange and white puppy in my arms. Woody smiled then scowled as Kurt and Joe jumped from the tree branch.

"You boys owe this nice woman an apology for trespassing on her property." He scolded them. Joe sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a guilty smile on his face.

"We just wanted to see the new farmer grandpa." Kurt glared at him. "Ok maybe _I _wanted to meet the new farmer and Kurt tried pulling me away before we got caught, but her dog caught us." He gently petted Avery's head.

"Sorry Jinx." Joe bowed, elbowing Kurt in the side. He snapped out of his trance, quickly trying to hide his shock.

"Yeah sorry." He mumbled, heading towards the shop. Woody and Joe sighed, waving before leaving after him. I shrugged, spinning around slightly to see a wisp of violet hair walking behind a rock. Avery jumped out of my arms, laying on the grass to absorb the sun. My bare feet silently walked across the newly weeded grass towards the rock where the hair was slightly sticking out.

"I'll save you Harvest Goddess, just you wait." I heard the man mumble. I carefully peaked my head around the corner to see the cowboy man leaning against the rock, silently looking out to the ocean as its waves crashed against the shore.

I spoke no words as I soundlessly joined next to him, gazing out to nature. He quickly turned around, a slight blush forming on his glaring face.

"What did you hear?" He hissed. I shrugged my shoulders, my eyes never leaving the ocean. He scoffed, growling again.

"You need to mind your own business newbie." My hand quickly placed itself on his mouth, causing angry protests against it.

"You know," I mumbled, taking my gaze off the ocean to look into his eyes. "If you weren't so grumpy all the time, you could actually enjoy your life." My hand retracted itself, moving so my body was now facing his. My other hand stuck itself out, awaiting a greeting.

"Lets start over. Hi, I'm Jinx the new rancher of this town." The boy grunted, twisting his head away from my gaze.

"Jamie." He grumbled before walking down the coast, leaving my hand still outstretched. I felt a little flutter of life arise in my heart as he said his name. With a new goal in tact, I walk back onto the far to finish my work.

(Blue's PoV)

I walked down the dusted path towards the Carpenters, kicking the dirt along the path. Jamie stormed past me, shooting a glare while bumping shoulders. I merely glared at his retreating back, continuing on my path. That's when my heart stopped. A girl sat in her field, playing around with a little beagle puppy. Her brunette hair flowed easily around her figure, sprawling itself out as she laid on the floor. Her chocolate eyes seemed to glow slightly as the sun shined its reflective beams on her amazing pale body.

_The mayor had mentioned a new farmer was moving in. Could this be her?_

Her laughter filled the air, causing my heart to speed up. It sounded like wind chimes dancing across the spring breeze.

"Oh, hi there." I gulped as her eyes gazed into my own. She was now rolled over so all her weight went to her stomach and breasts which stuck out slightly from her shirt.

"Yo," I replied coldly, tilting my head down so my gaze was no longer on the brunette beauty.

"You wouldn't happen to be Ellen's brother Blue would you?" My eyes snapped up with a slight shock in them. She lightly chuckled.

"You guys look somewhat alike, although it doesn't show." The girl fiddled with a small strand of her hair. "I'm Jinx, nice to finally meet you Blue." I merely nodded, not trusting my voice. Jinx continued to stare before laying her head down on her arms, closing her eyes slightly.

"This weather's making me sleepy. I'm not use to the warm weather. Where I was from, it was always cold and you needed to stay on your feet if you wanted to survive." She stifled a yawn, burying herself deeper into her folded arms. Within seconds, her silent breathing was washed along in the wind. She looked so...peaceful, like a fragile doll that could break in any minute.

I heard an irritated sigh behind me. I quickly turned around to see a pissed of Jamie, leaning against a tree staring at Jinx. Something rose in me, filling me to the core with rage. I growled at Jamie, getting his attention on me. Jamie finally noticing my presents growled back at me before stalking off to some unknown destination. I just walked over, picking the sleeping Jinx up and walking into her house.


	2. Chapter 2: Wake Up

** Chapter 2: Wake Up **

**_(Blue's PoV)_**

I quietly tucked her into the hard rock mattress that was a sorry excuse to be called a bed. Her chest rose and fell softly with wisps of her breath circling the small space. The dog Ellen had brought over earlier this morning had pranced in behind my heels now rested on a small pet bed at the end of hers. As I closed the semi rotted door, I felt a small twinge of regret in the pit of my stomach. Here, this new farmer starts with a beaten, hand-me-down house where numerous other farmers had failed and neglected to keep regular upkeep while I live in a large farm house, living the simple relaxed life of tending to barn animals and an already large house kept up by Hank, my father.

_'Stop that'_ I mentally growled, shaking my head back and forth under the cap. _'She is fine on her own. Leave her be and do not get involved.'_

(Jinx's PoV)

I could feel the sun's pull setting throughout every vein in my body, allowing it to awaken from its slumber.

"Good morning Avery." I mumbled sleepily, rubbing one eye with the back of my hand. Avery yelped happily, jumping up to give a good sliming of kisses. After I pushed the spontaneous pup off, I made us some dinner of...

"The mayor forgot to mention the lack of food." I growled to myself, slamming the empty, cobwebbed filled fridge closed. "Looks like we have to go find something in the wild to eat babe." Avery whined, wondering why his dinner dish is not filled with food. I dug in my knapsack, remembering there was a remainder of my sandwich from earlier in the day hanging idly in a brown paper bag. Avery gulped it up in a second, barking happily about his now full stomach.

_'Now what do I do?'_ I sighed, feeling the hungering need gurgle to the surface of my stomach. As if an angel answered my prayers, a slight rapping came from the door that hung on its rusted hinges. We really need a new one...

"Coming!" I shouted, racing over to the door. As I swung it open faster than a cheetah hunting its prey, a dark silhouette was instantly lit by the small house light. Joe held his hand slightly up as if to knock again, a smile plastered on his always smiling face. The cool spring air ran past me, allowing the faint smell of pine and salt water float into my nose.

"Good evening Joe. What are you doing here?" I asked, content with the cool night air washing over my face. Joe shifted back and forth on his feet, staring at them as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He sucked in a large breath of air, staring dead on into my eyes.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join Kurt, Woody, and I for dinner." I smiled at his boldness, tapping his shoulder lightly.

"That would be great actually." I rubbed the back of my head nervously, a faint blush creeping onto my face. "The mayor failed to mention the lack of food in the fridge." Joe's eyes turned enormous, making him almost look like a cat begging for attention. His hand enveloped mine easily, encasing it into a warmth.

"Lets go eat then! You must be starved out of your mind!" We ran right into the wooden house across the road, Joe slamming the door to make his presence known. His hand fell and I felt a little sad that the warmth was now dissipating by the cold air gushing from outside. There were various work benches scattered around the front with unfinished tools and rusted tools. A main desk faced the door in between the two rows of benches followed by two arches to the left and right of it. Noise filtered through the wooden beamed house, floating through the floor boards and staircase.

As my feet silently asended the stairs, two voices argued, growing louder with each step.

"Oh suck it up Kurt! She is joining us whether you like it or not!" Joe's voiced hissed with venom.

"Do you not get it? This will only bring us bad luck!" Kurt bellowed at his younger brother. "Besides, who would want to be the reject's friend? I heard from the mayor she is nothing but bad luck according to her files!" I froze, my hand stilled on the railing. Thoughts of the past raced through my head. All the mistakes, all the misfortunes, and then was _that_. _That_ little secret that lingers in the recesses of my mind, plaguing my thoughts as if wanting to escape.

"I do not care what past she came from! She needs friends more than ever if that is the case!" I had heard enough. Tears threatened to spill, but I held them back, running full fledged down the stairs nearly knocking Woody over. I mumbled a silent apology, throwing the door open and fleeing into the night. The ground crunched easily against my working boots. Critters scurried everywhere, avoiding any contact with the dark figure lurking in their land. Suddenly, the scene changed. Blood followed each step, imbedding a foot print filled to the brim with blood that dragged on for miles behind me. The cold wind felt even colder as if my clothes had been torn. I glanced at my hands, stifling a shriek as blood had coated them a deep crimson color of the dead.

'It is just an illusion.' I mentally chanted, desperately trying to wipe the fake blood from my palms. Warmth and sticky wetness continued to coat each hand as it had in the past.

"Please go away!" I cried aloud, trying to get rid of the stains as if others could see it. My body bumped into a figure, throwing it onto the ground with a strangled cry. The shadow person stared an all familiar stare that _he_ had done. Out of reflex I whimpered, crawling backwards until I came in contact with a large, jagged rock.

"Please," I raised the blooded hands in front of my face as protection. "Don't hurt me."

"Why would I hurt you?" The voice responded calmly. It sounded feminine, like an angel almost the voice was so light. The figure walked closer, but I continued to whimper, knowing voices cannot determine a person. They crouched down, tracing a hand lightly down my face.

"Dear you're trembling. There is nothing to be afraid of. Please sweetie don't cry." I had not noticed tears began to fall until they wiped away a piece of moisture from my face. The world collapsed around me, surrounding everything with darkness.

Darkness. Just darkness. How long was I out for? What day was it? Was someone taking care of my baby Avery? The darkness began to dissipate into a bright white light. I smiled at the light, welcoming it with open arms.

_'Maybe now I can find the peace I was looking for.'_ I thought as the light encased me. It was not the light I had originally thought. It was a rectangular ceiling light on a white tiled ceiling. A faint beeping noise hummed in the background with the machinery, blending into one annoying symphony.

"Turn off the noise," I growled, attempting to pull the sheet over my head. Something tugged at my arm, disallowing any movement of my left arm. An IV ran up from it, filled with a clear liquid hanging from a pouch on a hook. The scent of extreme sanitation entered my nose and I nearly gagged at how disgusting five million cleaners and bleaches smelled together.

"I am afraid we cannot do so Miss Jinx. We have to monitor your vitals to make sure you are in stable condition." The doctor looking person walked out from behind a curtain, writing profusely on his little clipboard. His hair, although not as tidy as his hospital, fluttered in little shadow wisps down to his neck. Pure black eyes stared back at me, installing a calming feeling into my senses. The doctor walked over to the bedside and began preforming the normal doctoral routines such as pulse, blood pressure, and so on.

"My name is Doctor Alex, but most folks around here just call me Alex." Alex paused for a second, looking deeply into my eyes. "You gave us quite a scare there when Liz brought you in last night. There were various little cuts from branches, but you had to have stitches in your left leg. It was surprising that you are able to wake up now in fact." Scenes from last night flooded my memory. Kurt knowing about my past. Running out of the Carpenter's house. The blood. The person offering kind words. Then blackness.

"How long was I out for?" Rough dryness filtered into the words from all the running last night.

"Only a day. You were brought in last night." I nodded, watching carefully how he did each examination, his expression, some of the scribbled notes which he constantly hid into his chest.

"Everything seems in order, but we would like to keep you over night just in case something happens. With your permission of course."

"Could I go home and feed my dog? He hasn't been fed since last night." Alex nodded, calling a girl by the name of Gina down. Her bright sky blue stripped trimmed dress was the first thing I saw as she descended the staircase. Gina looked generally tan with beautiful hazel eyes behind big rimmed glasses that did her beauty injustice. Her long bright blue hair was braided to the side into two pony tails held together by black ribbon.

"What is it Alex?" Her voice sounded like light wind chimes.

"Could you go to Jinx's house and feed her dog for her? She is in no condition to go home yet she insists on injuring herself further." Gina glanced my way, giving a worried smile then headed out to preform Alex's quest.

"Now," He spun towards me, making himself comfortable at the side of my bed. "You should really rest. Are you craving any food? I know it might not seem like it but I am a half way decent chef." I giggled, rolling my eyes at the attempt of conversation.

"Surprise me. Mr. Tummy will be happily grateful regardless of what it gets fed." Alex cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Mr. Tummy?" I patted my stomach under the thin white sheet.

"Mr. Tummy demands food." The voice did not come out as deep, almost sounding like a girly guy. We both laughed, exchanging some conversation before he ventured off for food. Despite the smell of the cleaners and the annoying beeping, the hospital was a nice place. It had that home feeling to it filled with warmth and love, something at home I had never felt. The walls were sadly painted white like everything else, however, some of the curtains were painted a deep royal blue which was a nice change from the seizure bringing white walls. The front door of the Clinic opened with a chime of a bell. Alex ran from the kitchen to see who it was in case it was an emergency.

"Oh Kurt, is everything alright?" My skin pricked at his name, the hairs standing on edge in fear. My heart beat erratically against my ribcage, making the beeping increase speed with it. The guy who had looked at my file proclaiming I was a disease, a plague, someone worth nothing but hatred was here to visit.

"Is..." He seemed strained with his words, often shuffling back and forth. "Is a girl by the name of Jinx here?"

"Why do you wish to know?" Alex must have heard the increased heart monitor.

_'Thank you Alex! You are my hero!'_ I mentally cheered.

"I...Oh to hell with this! I know she is here! Let me speak with her! Joe said I could not come home until I apologized!" _'Oh...so he was only doing this so Joe could get off his back...'_

"Just let him in Alex." I mumbled loud enough for both boys to hear. Alex's gaze felt disproving, but he nodded his head, retreating back into the kitchen. Kurt stood awkwardly at the end of my bed, looking anywhere except my face.

"Just get it over with Kurt and leave. I can tell Joe you gave some type of apology..."

"It is not just that." He cut in, looking directly into his eyes. Guilt swam in the chocolate pools of his eyes, wanting to say something, but the words could not form.

" I just..." He blew a frustrated sigh, running his hands through his hair. "God why is this so hard?" A minute passed silently with his curses floating into the air.

"I wanted to say I am sorry. It was not right for me to call you out when you had done nothing wrong. I just..." He swallowed a boulder in his throat, breaking eye contact. "I have trust issues with newcomers."

"Come here for a second." Kurt looked utterly confused, but slowly walked to my outstretched hand, which did not go far because of the stupid IV.

"Now bend down." He obligated. My hand seemed so pale against his semi dark skin as it rested nicely onto his cheek. My thumb gently brushed in small circles around his cheek, never once breaking contact with the skin.

"It is okay Kurt. I do not expect everyone to like me, but I do not wish to be judged without being known first." Water seemed to swim at the edge of his vision, but like all men, he had held it in.

"Why..." he mumbled, backing away from my touch. "Why are you so..." Glass broke behind him from the nightstand, and Kurt fled, leaving feelings of confusion behind him.

"Jinx? Are you alright?" Alex ran in, examining the broken vase on the floor.

"I...I am fine..." I casted him a worried glance. "Has Kurt ever had a bad relationship with someone?" Alex's eyes softened, breaking the short contact to pick up some of the larger chunks of glass.

"I believe that is a story for him to tell another day. Although, I will give you this. Kurt has...a horrible past to say the least and no role model to build up like. He just wants to find out who he is so to say."

_'That is true.'_ I thought mentally, watching the large pieces of glass shimmer in the window light.

_'It took me awhile before I could trust anyone again after a certain incident, but that was a long time ago.'_

It should not bother me this much, yet to see him like this, to see the reflecting pain of my own past made it much harder to resist the urge to help him. If only he would accept my help.


	3. Chapter 3: A Bit of Burn and Drama

**Chapter 3: A Bit of Burn and Late Night Trauma**

_*Warning: There will be reference to alcohol and drunken rages in this chapter. You have been warned.*_

"Are you sure you are ready to leave?" Alex sat at the tip of the hospital bed, staring intently as the IV was ripped from my arm along with the bandages. He seemed generally worried, like his little sister got into a fight and he wanted to console her. I nodded, wincing as the needle slowly slid out of my skin, feeling as the tip grazed the veins within my arm.

"I am sure Alex. Don't worry too much about me. I am a big girl." His eyebrows scrunched together, forming an almost perfect bridge with ridges running through it. Although his eyes were pure coal black, I could tell he thought otherwise about my decision.

"Well at least let me make you some breakfast before you go." He sauntered into the little kitchen with me on his heels. My muscles, although only absent for a day, felt sore to the bone and stiff as they echoed on the tiled floor. The kitchen, although tiny was cute in its own way. The walls were sadly white, but the cabinets were a nice light oak color toped with various cooking supplies. A stainless steel sink sat on the sink in between the fridge and matching stainless steel stove top. A little light wood table sat in the far right corner with a green, nearly see through vase filled with wild flowers.

"What would you like?" Alex asked, tossing on you guessed it, a white apron.

"Surprise me." He nodded, instantly running to and from the fridge to gather the supplies. I jumped up on the counter, leaning slightly forward so the cabinets behind would not 'accidently' hit my head on their pointy corners. The kitchen began to fill with wonderful perfume of home cooked meals, beckoning most likely everyone to the kitchen. A young looking girl walked into the kitchen, casting a wary glance my way before seating herself at the three seater table. Her short raven hair was cut to rest above her shoulders, swaying slightly when a breeze brushed past. The girls bright emerald eyes scanned her manicured nails delicately, examining each one with care. From the way she dressed, it was obvious she wanted to be a princess or someone of royal stature.

"Hi there." I waved from the counter. Her head snapped up, staring uninterestedly at me. "I am the newcomer Jinx. What is your name?" The girl said nothing and continued to pick out the flaws on her nails. I could tell she was nervous by the way she squirmed in her seat. She must rare to none have attention on her.

"Don't be rude Dia." Alex said from his skillet that popped little grease bubbles from the bacon.

"I am not being rude," Dia snapped, raw fury running through her eyes. " I just do not wish to talk to _her_." The way she said her hit a hidden memory, one of which the kids surrounded me, mocking faces covering the ceiling from view. Their faces shadowed, marking with cruel laughter and taunting malificent grins at the expense and pain of someone smaller, lower than them. I trembled slightly ,clutching my arms around to either side as a stream of chills ran up them. A clank of a plate snapped me out of my trance. Alex glanced curiously at me from the corner of his eye, but continued to make himself and Dia some breakfast from the remains of his ingredients.

"On second thought," I mumbled, not feeling much of an appetite. "You guys go ahead and eat. I will get my own food."

"Are you sure Jinx? I do not mind really." Dia's heated glare burned holes into the back of my head. Yup, she definitely wanted me gone.

"I am fine really." I threw in a nonchalant laugh to push the lie forward. He nodded, giving a quick hug before returning to the sizzling food. Dia's smirk burned into my back, as if she wanted to taunt me with a comment but bit back her bile tongue. I walked out the door quickly, feeling the door slam with extra intensity on my way out.

_'God damn bitch.'_

I sighed, running my fingers through the tangled mess that was my hair. I pulled it back into a sloppy pony tail, allowing the slight breeze of the spring air to curl the tips.

"Good morning there. Care for a coffee cake?" A male no more than twenty appeared out of thin air, holding a perfectly sculpted yellow square piece of cake on a white serving plate. He bore a uniform that resembled a waiter at a fancy restaurant and a baby face that looked like a five year old.

"Um...no thank you..." I peered down at his presented name tag engraved into an imitation gold plaque. "Carl. I am fine." Carl shrugged his shoulders, pulling the cake to his side.

"Well hopefully you stop by sometime at my restaurant." He sighed, carefully adjusting the plate to rub the back of his head. "When it is built that is. My dream is finally starting to come true and this land has potential for great crops for my dishes." He trotted off, offering another random person his coffee cake. I sighed, walking at a slow pace towards home. There were a few animals that ran with the breeze, but as soon as they heard my step, they vanished. It was quite upsetting since I loved animals.

The farm that was once abandoned shinned in the distance dully, the sun not doing much except showing off it's flaws. The roof was painted a pinkish red color with noticeable sized gaps poking randomly throughout the roof. The panels holding the house together seemed to be falling off slowly due to age and neglect of the little worn shack. It was not it's fault it looked this way on the outside, but rather those who chose to neglect it hid it's true potential.

"Avery!" I whistled, hearing his frantic barks in the distance. His little orange and white spotted body appeared from the open doorway; his tongue slopping saliva with every jump. Avery jumped into my arms, nearly knocking my body over in the process.

"Humph. I wondered whose mutt that was." An irritated voice appeared out of no where. Jamie appeared from the shadows, his head tipped down into the shadows of the brim of his hat.

"Hi to you too Jamie." I rolled my eyes, walking towards him while Avery jumped excitedly out of my arms to play with another dog. The dog was nearly pure black with a little brown on the tip of the paws and the muzzle. Its ears were pointed, a typical look for dogs who have their ears cut.

"Such a cute dog," I cooed, reaching out for the pointy eared dog. It looked at my hand menacing, snapping it's jaws around until my whole hand was encased in the slimy caves. A light pain rivered through, but nothing that could not be hidden.

"Raven," Jamie growled at the dog who proceeded to retract its fangs on command. Raven whimpered slightly, returning to her master.

"Anyway," I shivered slightly, feeling the blood slowly seep from the puncture wounds. "How are things on your farm going?" He merely glared, sighing angrily as he proceeded to walk towards me. Under the cowboy hat shined his infamous ice eyes that reflected in the sun beautifully. They almost looked hypnotic compared to his shadowed frame.

"Let me see," he grumbled, examining my hand. The blood streamed down like small rivers, plopping silently into the grass staining it red. A pale, meaty finger slid carefully through the streams, staining red as it passed over the puncture wounds. The touch was soft, gentle, as if the wound was a fragile child that could break at any second. The small gesture sent chills up my spine, but a good kind.

"There." Jamie pat the bandage down with a final tap, instantly standing up and walking away with Raven on his heels. I examined the bandage, tracing my index finger over the fabric. It was not like any medical bandages that contained a rough shell like texture, but soft like it was never there. A black pattern enticed my eyes towards it, following every swirl and curve it weaved. The band aid was Jamie's bandana.

"Oh! Um..." His frame vanished before I could utter a word. I glanced down at the bandana, tracing the pattern with the tip of my fingers.

"Thank you." I whispered to no one. The rest of the day went on uneventfully. Well, not entirely uneventfully. Joe had stopped by again, apologizing for his brother's actions and swore up and down over something. Then proceeded to fall into a mud pit, dressing up like a giant mud ball. There was so much dark almost swamp mud on his skin that he could pass it off like an extremely dark tan. It made it all the funnier when he began walking home with giant globs of mud landing in his foot prints.

After a quick shower (who wants to go relax when they are all sweaty?) I plopped down on the bed, wiggling around to get conformable. As small and cramped as this house was, it grew on me more of a cozy home that needed a little love to shine.

_'Maybe I can ask Woody for some paint to touch the place up...'_ I frowned. _'But then I would have to see Kurt and he made it obvious that he did not want to deal with me anymore than for business...'_

"What do you think Avery?" The pup looked at me from the edge of the bed with tired, droopy eyes. He yelped slightly, drifting back into whatever dream he had been dreaming.

"Yeah...I guess you are right... Save it for the morning." I glanced at the red digital numbers that flashed nine forty five p.m. It was early, but early to bed early to rise I guess. I tossed the duffle cover overhead, burying my face into the fluff of the pillow. At least, for once, things were not as bad as it could of been.

A loud rapping alerted not only myself, but Avery as well. He ran to the door, barking hysterically at the intruder who continued to bang loudly. The digits on the clock read faintly around one thirty, give or take a number due to sleep blindness.

'Who the hell is up this hour?' All the warmth washed away into fear. I gripped the edge of the bed, feeling the cold wood planks beneath my feet.

_'What if it is them? There is no way they could have followed me this far.'_ I grabbed the closest object into a grip, which happened to be the tacky green shaded lamp with a rusted out "gold" colored base. My footsteps were silent compared to the rapping that beat the door nearly down. With each step, my heart beat quickened, fear and adrenaline pumping through my brain into a fuzzed thought. Avery backed up, staying close on my heels as the free hand reached for the doorknob, the lamp raised in the other in attack. I swung the door open, meeting a fogged turquoise eye color staring back at me. Through the street lamp near by, a blue tee shirt illuminated. Blue stood in the doorway, one hand raised to continue rapping and the other holding an object. Although it was dark, a bulk frame that narrowed into the palm of his hand.

"Blue?" I whispered, bringing the lamp down to a less dangerous level. Blue stumbled into the house, tripping every so often on a spec of dust on the floor. He stumbled towards the table, clinking a glass bottle into it causing it nearly to shatter. I had put the lamp down near by, running over to his location in an attempt to steady his stride. Blue's eyes stared into mine for a second, searching for something I was unaware of. He sighed contently, resting his head into the crook of my neck.

"B...blue?" His warm breath carassed my neck, a touch I was not accustomed to and it felt weird.

"Please do not get mad." He giggled, rubbing his head back and forth like a child. "It makes my problems go bye bye!"

"Are you alright?" Blue's head lifted, his breath washing down in quick wisps. A choking smell incased my senses that nearly made me gag. The bottle he had brought in was beer. Blue was drunk.

"Blue. Go home. You are drunk." His gaze hardened, displeased with my response. One of his hands slowly inched up my side, rubbing carefully around my neck.

"No." The honey ice voice slurred into a husky drunk noise that almost sounded like a growl.

"Yes Blue. We can talk when you sober up."

"I said no!" The hand encased my neck, cutting off the supply of oxygen from reaching my lungs. I gasped, clawing at his grip that held my windpipes closed. My legs dangled slightly off the ground, allowing no possible escape. The wind whipped by in an instant, impacting my body into the wooden planks of the floor. Yet, air was not coming. Those eyes held some type of hidden hatred, like fire with someone shoveling piles of coal into it.

"You are not leaving me!" He screeched, tears falling from the flames. "Never again!" He sobbed, crushing my neck even more.

"B...Blue." I gasped, seeing black spots starting to form at the edge of my vision. Avery growled, barking as he charged for the kill and bit Blue's arm. Blue screamed painfully, retracting his hand from my neck. Air rushed in, filling the nearly shriveled lungs with the oxygen it needed.

"Avery sweetie come here!" Avery growled once more, then happily trotted over to my location to survey the damage. There was going to be a huge bruise around my neckline from his grip, but that did not concern me now. Blue was curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth as sobs shook the room. Occasionally he would mumble something, but then continue crying about someone leaving him. I crawled over, wrapping my arms around his frame. His arms shot out, throwing themselves over my shoulder as his tear filled cries fell onto my shoulders. Waterfalls seemed to fall from his eyes, drenching the baggy tee shirt, but that did not matter.

"Blue," I whispered through his sobs. He lifted his head slightly, drunk and tired eyes reflecting back. Any anger that was once there was now gone. "Who keeps going away Blue?"

He shook his head and continued crying, mumbling in a gurgled sob about someone leaving. After about an hour of sobs, Blue's eyes began to shut slowly, dried and wet tear stains ran under his eyes all the way down his tired face. I got up, grabbing my only blanket and pillow from the bed and made him comfortable. It was obvious that he was in no condition of going anywhere tonight...er... this morning.

"Get some sleep Blue. We can talk in the morning." He nodded, burying his face into the pillow. I sighed, running a hand through my tangled hair. It was nice to make sure he had a place to sleep; however, now I was left with no where.

_'Maybe I can go sleep outside. It is not exactly sanitary, but the grass is comfortable.'_

I began walking to the door when a hand grabbed my ankle. I looked down at it, looking at Blue's frantic turquoise eyes.

"Please stay with me." He whimpered like a puppy that was abused and wanted its mother. Avery glanced at me warily from the corner, watching my every motive. On the one hand, I could stay and keep the drunk Blue happy but cause sober Blue problems. On the other hand, I could get rid of that problem, but make sober Blue feel guilty.

"Okay Blue you win." He wiggled over excitedly, making what little room there was for me. I laid down on the wooden floor, resting on the half pillow. A pair of arms snaked around my waist, pulling me into a warmly toned chest. The same drunk breath washed onto me, but I held in a gag.

"Jinx?" Blue whispered into my ear.

"Yeah Blue?"

"Promise me something?"

"It depends on what it is Blue." He shifted uncomfortably behind me, drawing my body even closer if that were even possible.

"Promise you will never leave me alone." I smiled sadly, remembering what it was truly like to be alone. If a friend had ever needed me, I abide by that promise to remain by their side for as long as I was needed. I turned by body towards him, glancing up the best I could into his eyes. They looked away shyly, a faint blush crossing his features.

"I promise."


	4. Chapter 4: Lets Go Fishing!

**Chapter 4: Lets Go Fishing!**

***Chapter contains minimal cursing and iggly squiggly worms*  
**

The birds sung their melody outside the thin pane of the window, waking me from my slumber. It was most likely six and everything hurt like a bitch. I went to get up, practically dragging my limbs when a grip pulled me back down to the floor. Last nights events came swimming back into my thoughts. Blue coming in drunk. His outburst and trying to choke me. Avery getting him off me. Him sobbing about someone leaving him. I rolled over, scanning over his face. The tear tracks were completely dry and hidden from his flawless skin. His light brown strands scattered among the pillow or standing straight up. Even with bed head, he looked attractive.

"Blue," I whispered. He groaned, clutching me tighter and inhaled slightly. He sighed contently, drifting back into dream world. I used all the strength I had, prying out of his talon grip. The floorboards creaked rather loudly under each step towards the bathroom and I mentally cursed at myself. I did not want to wake him up, especially knowing how bad of a hangover he will have or how bad his reaction will be.

The bathroom was small with faded sandy tiles and a peeling sky blue wall paper with a dirt encrusted sand bottom border. The circular mirror was split from the top right hand corner reaching almost half way on a diagonal on the mirror. Everything was a white porcelain color that lined with dirt and dust from the years of neglect. I gasped, noticing a rather large bruise encasing my neck with a thick purple and blue scarf. Off to the side imprinted his fingers that snaked towards the back of my head.

_'Looks like I will have to wear something to cover that up.'_ The yellow digital clock on the sink held a few battle scars as well; however, the time remained accurate. It was six forty five, a normal time for a wake up call but today I wish I could have slept in a little bit. Running on about four hours of sleep will be the death of me today. I peaked into the room, Blue's light snores filling the empty space. Avery was asleep on his little bed as well, breathing heavily, whimpering and pedaling his feet like in his dream. I peaked out from behind the door, sneaking to the dresser for some clothes. Avery yawned, wagging his tail happily as he saw that I was awake and well as well.

"Avery shush." The pup continued to wag his tail, the thumping noise growing louder and louder as if it were a game.

"Jinx?" A gurgled voice mumbled across the room. I mentally cursed at the puppy with my eyes, although Avery seemed not affected by it. Blue sat up, his cap falling gracefully off his head and into the pillow. Spikes shot up everywhere as if someone had a forest on their head bear of any leaves. His eyes were drooped into thick purple blankets and a red canvas behind his colored irises. Overall, he looked like a bus went to Kentucky hit a few people playing Saints Row the Third and threw the dead bodies into the zombie infestation site.

"B..Blue. I ah... I did not know you were up." Instinctively my hand brushed the nest that was called my hair around my neck, hiding what he had done. Blue noticed, standing up slightly only to wince and sink back down to the floor.

"Why is it so bright in here?" He mumbled, clutching his head in agony. "And why are you in my house?"

_'So he did not remember anything.'_ I breathed a sigh of relief, walking slowly to the windows and shutting all the blinds. Blue sighed contently, throwing his head back into the pillow. He winced as it made contact, but made no move to sit back up again, pulling the covers until most of his head was covered.

"Do you need some aspirin Blue? It might ease off the pain a little." The curls of his hair sticking out wiggled a little in protest while the bulge of the sheet moved side to side carefully.

"Then I am heading off to work now. There is food in the fridge if you get hungry and the bathroom is at the end of the room." He lightly nodded, soon after his snores echoed throughout the small house. I sighed in relief, quietly making my way towards the dresser, throwing on the first things my hands could grab. A pair of ripped dark blue skinny jeans and a horizontally blue, a white stripped shirt with an attached hood, and baby blue spring scarf replaced my pajamas. I called for Avery, watching the smug pup slowly walk by the sleeping Blue in a smirk victory.

"Stop that," I scolded the puppy who looked up at me with innocently large brown orbs. As we walked out into the sunny Spring day, I took one last glance at the ball curled up in the middle of my living room. It shielded away from the light slightly, whimpering slightly. The door was silently shut behind me. Avery ran away to play with the animals in the field, often rolling over onto his back to absorb the sun's rays. Despite it being a beautiful spring day, my mind continued to wander to Blue who remained in my house since the crack of dawn.

"Just focus," I sighed. "Get your work done and then you can see him." I looked up, shielding my eyes from the sun slightly with my hand. An overcast of clouds were on the rampage in the distance, meaning storm weather or a possible downpour of rain in the near future. A cloud began forming what appeared to be a person, staring back at me with a cold, deadly gaze.

"They cannot find you here." I shivered, feeling cold despite the sun's rays directly piercing my skin. "_He_ cannot find you here." I preformed my ritual as I do every morning, but with a quickened pace. It felt as though a pair of eyes were watching my every movement, staring and lingering where the scarf lay. As soon as I left the farm, the stares stopped and I breathed a sigh of relief. Horn Ranch was open today, so I figured to tell the family where their missing brother...son... person was. Animals bleated in the field next to Horn Ranch, walking around or lazing about the lush grass that grew around them. A few chickens wandered about too, not caring much for their larger counterparts. As I pushed the door open, the slight jingle alerted the people in the store all while a burst of air conditioning blew down from the frame. The room seemed slightly small compared to how it looked outside, but I quickly realized it was because their house was in teh back of this small output of a store. Various animal care products laid about the store, some sitting on the register counter and others sitting pilled up in the corner (usually how the food is done).

"Hey Jinx!" Ellen's voice rang cheerfully through the still air. Her porcelain face held a huge grin, but under that, there were deep purple circles and streaks of dried tears down her face. When she opened her eyes, I nearly gasped. They were pure red around the iris, pronouncing her bruise like markings under her eyes.

"Hey Ellen, are you okay?" She looked at me curiously, plastering a fake smile up front to hide.

"Of course I am okay Jinx! Why would you say that?" I looked at her sadly, crossing my arms as I stared dead into her copper brown eyes.

"Is it about Blue?" Her smile faltered for a second, and then fully falling into a frown within a few minutes. She sighed sadly, a short piece of her hair flying up in the wisp of the breeze.

"Yes...it is." Her eyes scanned the room, looking for something to maintain a focus on, anything except me. "He said he was going to hang out at the bar since it was his day off and Hank told him to be back before dark. Well..." She choked on her words, a shrill whimper escaping the back of her throat. I walked over, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. They trembled slightly under the touch and her head now played a staring game with the floor.

"I waited up for him, worried that the little bastard would be in great trouble if Hank found out. Time and time passed and before I knew it, it was midnight." She started hyperventilating, her whole frame shaking as she gasped out for breath. No words could be uttered as her sobs echoed throughout the small shop house. I felt bad for Ellen, she really was a truly caring sibling who just wanted a good life for her younger brother.

"He barged in, staggering with a bottle in his hand, swinging it as he staggered forward. When I had asked why he was out so late and why he drank so much, he exploded in my face saying that I had no means to run his life. Then he barged out without another word." More tears fell to the floor as her voice wavered from her strangled cry to a reasonable sounding voice. I blew a breath, slightly waving the hair out of my face.

"If it makes you feel any better, he is at my house right now." I did not mention the details of the night, she did not need the extra stress on her shoulders right now.

"How did he get there?" She mumbled, wiping her tear stained face with her free hand.

"He just appeared at my door in the night and passed out of the floor." Everything became calmly still, no noise could be heard except for the bleating of the animals. Ellen nodded, excusing herself to take over Blue's chores for the day. I gave her a sympathetic pat after we departed from the door. I sighed, running a frustrated hand through my hair.

_'This is going to be a loooooong week.'_ The wind picked up, tossing the grass into a symphony of dance to its soundless tune. I followed the path that became worn down as it proceeded towards the base of what appeared to be a mountain. Although the top was not visible, the sound of running water could be heard rushing down it. The slopes were decently angled to give a great cardio workout as well as provide a home for the inhabitants in case of a flood or something such as that. The ground crunched under my foot, making some sort of noise in the silence. A few mountain dwelling animals noticed my presence and quickly scampered off, most likely in fear that I would cause them harm. As I approached the top, my jaw dropped, awing at nature's splendor. A small ocean blue waterfall fell over light honey brown rocks into a small lake which proceeded over the cliff into the below river. The field was a bright green color, waving various shades of color on flowers. A few colored herbs laid around, soaking in the sun's rays with the flowers while the bees hummed happily from their nest in different trees. Across the small stream from the lake stood a worn down dark brown bridge that led to yet another gorgeous patch of grass and trees. There appeared to be a dark cave, completely out of place at the end of the other field, but with my luck, it would be a bear's den.

"Hey!" someone shouted, startling me out of the spell. I spun on my heels, meeting face to face with a grinning Joe. He wore the same attire as he does everyday, but today he held a beige looking box and two long fishing poles.

"Shit dude you scared me!" I held a hand on my heart, feeling it beat erratically. Joe chuckled, nervously shifting around his weight since he could not rub his hand behind his head as per usual.

"Sorry about that. Normally no one is up here, so sometimes Ray and I go fishing. Lately it is more of just me, but luckily I brought a spare rod. Want to fish with me?" I glanced up at the sky for a minute, watching the dark clouds slowly make their way towards us. It would take, if my calculations were correct, about three hours to get here.

"Sure." His face lit up like a little kid getting the most awesome christmas present ever. Joe sat at the side of the lake, propping the gear against a near by tree. When he lifted the lid of the container, I wiggled a little bit, seeing the live worms wriggle in his hands.

"Okay so first, you have to have bait. Naturally fish love worms and there are a lot in the dirt." He proved his point by digging up a patch of dirt and ripping out a random worm.

"Next, you take the worm," he grabbed his fishing pole, bringing the hook closer to the worm. "and jab it through the hook like this." The worm was then impaled on the sharpened silver hook, stopping instantly for a moment as it pierced through its tiny body, then continued to wiggle impatiently. I could feel my face pale and the contents of my stomach dance unhappily inside.

"Then you throw it in the water and then you're done! Simple right?" He grinned a cute boyish grin and I fought to place one on my face.

"Yeah," I gulped, walking to sit next to him. "No problem." The bucket laughed mockingly at me, knowing what kind of cruel, inhumane fate the worms were about to have. My stomach lurched more, swinging around in protest of what I was about to do.

_'I can do this.'_ I mentally chanted, picking up the spare fishing pole and the _'gulp!'_ worm. It squiggled and wiggled around in between my fore fingers and it took everything I had not to scream and throw the abomination in my hand.

"Please forgive me Mr. Worm." I mumbled, closing my eyes as the worm was impaled onto the hook. The slicing of the skin echoed throughout my ears, its tiny worm cries squeaking out in protest against the cold metal.

"Now throw it in the water," Joe encouraged, his eyes breaking contact with the water for just a second. The worm wiggled in my face on the hook, facing directly at the slow moving stream of water. I closed my eyes, swinging the hook back and chucking it forward with all my might. A silent _'plip'_ sound filled my ears as the rope hung on an angle, the worm submerged into the water.

"Now we wait." Joe and I talked briefly, throwing in random conversations about life around here, some gossip about people who just recently moved in, and even about Kurt, which was kind of weird. As Joe was telling a story about when Kurt thought that parents grew on trees, my line tugged violently. I yelped, nearly letting the line go into the water.

"Whoa there! Hold onto that Jinx!" He climbed behind me, latching his legs around my waist and his hands on top of mine. A huge bright blush encased my face as his head lightly brushed up against my cheek.

"Now the trick here is to give it a little slack then reel it closer okay?" I nodded, not trusting my voice completely with simple words. We yanked and reeled, feeling the fish tug harder and harder as it came closer to the land. With a big yank, we pulled the fish out of the water and fell back onto the dirt. My landing was much softer seeing as I was laying on Joe, but I am sure his was not so great.

"That was awesome!" I shouted, sparkles dancing in my eyes. Joe laughed, brushing the dirt off his close to examine our catch.

"It appears to be a rainbow trout about five inches. That is not that bad for a beginner." The colorful fish flopped around on land, the sun illuminating the various scales into a rainbow of colors. Joe picked it up, placing it on the inside of a hidden container filled with what looked like water. A roll of thunder alerted my senses to the on coming rain in the distance soon closing in. A low whistle and shuffling of gear told me Joe was getting ready to leave before the down pour began.

"Come by my house later for your fish alright? I will have it cleaned and ready to be cooked." I waved off, watching the clouds slightly hover over head. A drop of water hit the bulls eye that must of been painted on my forehead. More danced down from their home in the dark clouds. Lightning lit up the sky and its parter soon sounded the drum. The curtain of rain cascaded over the whole valley in a sheet of gray, occasionally lighting up a duller version of their colors from the lightning. I glanced at the cave, deciding now that it was my best bet to wait in there until the rain departs. My feet practically ran through the mud, the wet canvas drenching everything to the core with uncomfortableness.

"Hello?" I whispered into the cave. A faint green glow lit a pathway into the cave at the sound of my voice, tunneling into the darkness.

'This is creepy.' Although the rain was loud outside, in here, only the sound of my sloshing sneakers against the sandy gravel could be heard.

"Please," whispered a voice from somewhere in the cave. "Save her."

"But she is not like the other," another voice whispered. "But maybe she can help."

"She can! She can!" cried a third voice. "Can't you feel the aura?" The voices faded into a mumbled jargon of voices. I halted from the center of the cave, feeling the energy practically draining from every pore. The rain hummed outside and it appeared that it would not let up soon.

_'Well...it should be okay to take a nap in here...Only until the rain lets up.'_ I slid to the floor, resting my head up against the cool cave wall. Surprisingly the floor was comfortable and I found myself drifting off to sleep quicker than one could think.


	5. Chapter 5: The Lady in Stone

**Chapter 5: The Lady in Stone**

****Note: This chapter does contain a bit of graphic detail (not sexual)and may not be as accurately depicted in the game. This is my own spin on it****

When I awakened, I expected to be in the same section of cave as I was before blacking out. Instead, I was in a lightly lit area on a smooth, comfortable patch of grass surrounded by water and small cliffs. The room was bare, the only true color there being the light from the bell looking flowers and the grass. Water could be heard silently swaying against the rocks, but otherwise the cave resided in silence. In the middle on a platform across from the one I was on stood a statue, carved entirely out of stone. It is a small beautiful woman with her large oval eyes staring sadly into the ceiling; her hands clasped together towards her chest in prayer. The dress she wore seemed simple, but from another angle, wings prodded out from her back in intricate swirls.

"She is beautiful," I whispered, letting a long, low whistle echoing off the cave walls.

"She is the Harvest Goddess badum!" A small voice bellowed out, nearly knocking me off the small island into the water from the sudden noise.

"Now look what you did badum! You startled her!" A huskier voice yelled, louder and deeper than the first voice, imbedded in what sounded like a further part of the cave.

"Please do not be afraid badum! We mean no harm!" A middle, almost childish voice quickly added from some other side of the cave. The sound of grass crinkling under footsteps filled the air over the rush of silence that soon followed after the voices. They sounded far away at first, as if from a distant land. They proceeded closer and closer, echoing louder and louder off the cave walls as they approached my location. I spun on my heels, drowning out the silent footsteps at first with my own twirl around the grass. Three small figures stood in the dim light, approaching cautiously as if I would freak out and harm them.

"W...who are you?" I asked, shaking slightly at the small elf-cookie-making-looking people. Each had a similar identity: short green hair combed back under a colored hat and wore a santa clause looking outfit that matched the color of the hat.

"I am Billy!" The blue bell sprite jumped up, his voice childish and light.

"I am Arthur.." The red bead sprite said in a small, quiet voice.

"I am Carlos!" The yellow voice bellowed, giving the cave a little shake from the voice.

"Right..." I mumbled, wondering what the hell I ate today to cause this illusion. The blue sprite Billy walked up, jumping up and down in his little foot frame.

"Jinx! You have to save the Harvest Goddess or the land will die!" Arthur stepped forward was well, over towering the Billy by only an inch.

"The humans have lost hope in her and to save herself, she turned into stone." Carlos came forward as well, the same height as Billy only a little wider.

"So we need you to collect notes. These can be done through various things like planting a tree and so forth. Things to make nature restore back to its original state." I nodded, absorbing in the information...sort of. It was hard to believe this statue could actually be alive or the little men in front of me appear to be real.

_'I must have eaten something bad in my fridge last night...or maybe the assult from Blue did a number on my memory and now is making me hallucinate...maybe...'_

"You!" A voice shouted, rocking the cave erratically like an earthquake. The shadow ran forward, nothing extremely prominent to determine the personal other than the cowboy hat. Jamie.

"You guys told_ her_ too? You have to stop telling everyone that can see you!" He glared, stressing the word 'her' as if I was a disease. My blood boiled, my fists clenching closed, building its own spit fire to match Mr. Arrogant.

"So what if I know? Obviously you are not doing a great job if she is still like this!" I bellowed in a low hiss. Jamie took his eyes off the small creatures, turning his glare in my direction. Fire brewed in his light blue eyes, darkening into a violent storm. He came up until we were chest to chest, his height over towering my own. I could feel the waves of hatred rumble through his body in tides, creating goosebumps. I looked up, testing him to try something and he returned the glare, restraining himself. I had a second to process a comeback when all of a sudden my head recoils to the side, a slight burning sensation resting on my left cheek. The scarf, which was worn from the day of Blue's attack fell off to the side as my head readjusted back into place. The sprites gasped behind me as the encircled bruise print encased my neck with a thick molten mix of purple and blue.

Jamie stepped back wide-eyed, fear flashing across his eyes for a brief second before returning to their original emotionless facade.

"Huh! You deserve that. It will be me that saves the Goddess! You will see!" He turned around, running out of the cave as if nothing had happened. I rolled my eyes, wincing slightly as the pain throbbed with the adrenaline. It was definitely going to be a bruise.

"You can stop gawking you know." I mumbled, picking up the scarf and rewrapping it around my neck. "I understand and I accept to help you."

"Thank you!" They chortled, the feeling of uneasiness lacing the air. I nodded, walking towards the direction Jamie had come from. The glow from within the cave began to dim as I proceeded forward; the grass melting into dirt and rubble as the mouth of the cave opened up. Water cried down the entrance in a rapid pace, encasing the world into a dark gray fog. It was still raining.

_'Wonder how long I was in there...'_

"Jinx! Come on Jinx! Where are you?" A voice shouted over the roar of the rain. A smokey gray figure ran aimlessly in the dark, accompanied by another faded figure.

"In here!" I shouted as loud as I could, feeling my voice crack at the end. The sloshing of footsteps grew louder and louder as the figures grew closer. Blue was the first to arrive, drenched head to toe in rain water. His cap was gone, flattening his hair down onto his scalp with single beads falling off straggled pieces of hair. His tan features slightly flushed from the cold rain, especially the bridge of his nose. Behind him Joe stood, his bandana completely ripped off and pocketed in his side pocket. Much like Blue's hair, his chocolate spiked cut fell flat.

"Thank god," Blue breathed, collapsing onto his knees. Joe smiled, a tight yet relieved smile. I blinked, just staring at the two boys who looked all but relieved to see me.

"When the rain started coming down badly and you were not behind me, I went to your house to make sure you got home alright. When I knocked at the door, Blue answered instead. When I asked if you came home he said that you did not and instantly freaked out." Joe elaborated at my confused expression. I nodded, taking everything in.

_'Blue must of had some bad hangover to be sleeping that long in my house. Ellen must be really worried about him...'_

"Jinx," Blue whispered quietly. He sighed, rubbing his lightly paled skin through his damp hair. "We need to talk when we get to your house."

"It is fine Blue," I smiled, wincing slightly as Jamie's mark sent a shock of pain up my jaw. Joe stepped forward, squinting slightly to see with what little cave light was left. Something warm brushed up against my left cheek, filling it with a calming sensation.

"Where did you get this little beauty?" Joe mumbled, gently stroking his fingers in a rhythmic up and down pattern. His hand was a little rough around the tips of his fingers, but he worked with heavy lifting and what not so I could not complain. Blue's head snapped up, much like his body in an instant. He pushed Joe away, examining the bruise with his own touch. Joe just sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he made a useful cave prop holder.

"Did I do this?" He whispered so low, my ears strained to hear it against the rain. I shook my head, brushing his hand aside.

"Fell face first into the cave when it started to rain," I lied, rubbing the back of my head. "You know how clumsy I am with tripping over flat surfaces and what not."

"Too true!" Joe laughed from his corner of the cave, the deep hearted laugh sounding louder as it danced along the walls. Joe squished his way over, bending down so his eyes were aligned with my chest. As I was about to yell, my feet gave way from the ground and instantly a wet warmth hit me. My eyes looked frantically up at Joe's who all but told them to shut up and deal with the help. I sighed, snuggling closer into the warmth.

_'No doubt about it a cold was brewing under the skin for the three of us. I wonder if Alex will lecture me again...'_

The rain shocked me out of my thoughts as it threw itself into my face as if it was an angry chick who just got her man stolen. Blue followed wordlessly behind, hiding behind his curtain of hair. We exchanged no words down the mountain or through the town and into the Clinic where Alex waited with his arms folded like a disappointed father.

"Hi Alex," I squeaked, coughing a few times as the chill finally hit me. He said nothing, but in his deep abyss for eyes told me I was in some deep shit. Alex walked over, snatching me from Joe's arms as an elderly woman approached the two boys with towels and most likely hot herbal tea.

"You are an idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself?" Alex screamed as soon as we were out of sight. I rolled my eyes, which he saw since he gave yet another glare.

"I am a big girl Alex. I can take care of myself."

"Of course you can," He snorted, sitting me upright on a white bed. "If you could, you would not have been so dumb as to get drenched and stay in a goddamn cave. It is like you are asking for pneumonia or something."

"Yeah yeah. I have heard this all before." Alex turned fully around from his little station, his right charcoal eyebrow raised.

"And yet you repeat the same dumb mistake again." He shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

_*You are so dumb sometimes Jinx. If it were not for me, you would end up dead.*_

I shivered as the memory appeared, goosebumps of fear lining my skin. Same dead words only lead to mistakes. Trust as an illusion to gain what _'he'_ wanted...what _'they'_ wanted. I shivered again, feeling as if their eyes were scanning me over again, watching, waiting, for something, for anything.

"I need you to take off your clothes, slip into these, and hand me your wet clothes cause who wants to sit in wet, uncomfortable clothes?" Alex pushed forward a simple white strapped bra and matching underwear. Underneath it sat a forest green tee shirt and black slacks. The color drained from my face when I realized he meant everything off, including the scarf which hid Blue's secret.

"Do you have another scarf by chance?" I mumbled quickly. He raised his eyebrow again, shaking his head left to right.

"I do not see why you need one in the middle of spring to be quite honest. The bathroom is two doors down on the right. I will have my assistant Gina take your wet clothes for you." Before I could utter another word, Alex ran out with a clipboard in hand. Most likely to check out his other patients.

"Shit," I mumbled, running my fingers through my damp hair. I followed the never ending white tile to his instructions only to behold yet another white object. The gold colored knob looked completely out of place and possibly an old thing of sorts, but it quietly clicked open to reveal the bathroom. Despite all the white outside, the bathroom itself was colorful from the aqua to navy blue spotted tiles on the floor to the beach sand and sky wallpaper. Even the shower curtain to my surprise grew palm trees from the base of the tub to the tip of where it hung with brightly colored green leaves. As the clothing was shed from my body, I winced at the markings around my neck. In the chill of the air, it was much more pronounced with a darker shade of purple along with the handprint on my face courtesy of the asshole Jamie.

For an instant through the mirror, a pair of eyes glared from the corner of the frame. I spun quickly, checking back at the mirror again only this time they were gone. I sighed, placing my hands on the sides of the sink for support.

"They have no idea where you went," I whispered, looking up into the mirror again. The calm blue sky and warm sand only reflected back. "There is no way they can track you out here. No way..." Goosebumps hilled my skin with a bitter cold, not from being naked, but from the stare of those all too familiar eyes.

After a warm shower with much contemplation on how to hide the mark, I finally came up with a cover up for now. The fluffy warm towel that felt like a warm cloud would be wrapped around my neck and hang off my shoulders as if to keep my wet hair from hitting the clean clothes.

"So you are done now Jinx?" A warm voice hummed as the bathroom door opened. A girl around my age, maybe younger stood in front of me with another towel in hand. Her light robin egg colored hair was neatly braided into two pigtails residing on the side of her head. Her copper tone eyes hid behind large harry potter circular looking glasses. Just by looking at her outfit, her favorite match up is a light spring morning blue and the darkest of night black.

"You must be Alex's assistant. Thank you for the clothes." She giggled, a faint blush crossing the bridge of her nose.

"It was no problem really. I mean...yeah...oops! Umm I mean yes I am...Ah goddamnit!" She cursed at her self, the blush fusing her face to a pinkish tint.

"Sorry I just moved here from the city not too long ago and I have a hard time talking to new patients or people." She sighed. "I am Gina, pleasure to meet the infamous Jinx."

I rolled my eyes. "I guess Alex tells you I am a common customer here?"

"Yup! Martha felt bad about how you were the only girl here and as girly as Alex can be, she thought by having me here it would make things more comfortable."

"Martha?" A lightbulb must of went off in Gina's head since her face lightly blushed again.

"Where are my manners? Martha is my grandmother who helps Alex out around here, especially with pregnancies." She shuttered. "You never want to see those here. It is so strange how a big headed thing comes out of something so small..."

"So I am girly now Gina?" A male voice echoed down the small hallway. Gina whispered a small 'oh shit!' before smiling slightly at Alex who stood with his arms crossed, a playful smirk on his face.

"Now who in the world would say that about you?" Gina looked toward me. "Did you hear anything about him being girly Jinx."

"Not a word," I replied with my own smile. Alex laughed a light, airy laugh, shaking his head as he walked away. Gina and I followed behind him, making small comments about how Alex walked. Especially Gina who nearly had me in tears when she whispered, "Work that butt baby! Shake what your mama gave you!"

When we all eventually stopped, everyone stood in the main room of the hospital. Joe making himself comfortable on one of the beds was the first to spot me.

"Hey Jinx! Come bunk with me! I do not rape much!" Alex threw what looked like a dinner roll at Joe's head with a successful hit. He ate it anyway whether it was fresh or not. Ew. Joe sat with his lower half covered under the blankets; however, his upper half bore a similar tee shirt to me only a striking yellow instead of green. His hair started to dry and slightly curled at the tips around his face. Something he was trying to hide since his hand was constantly in his hair patting patches of the curls down.

"Hey doc you are out of her..." Blue stopped head in his tracks when he saw me. His eyes laced around where the towel lay.

"Ah yes Blue I gave you and Joe the last of it. Remind me in the morning to run out and get some." Alex nodded from his corner of the room where he proceeded to check up on Joe.

"Oh!" I bowed to both boys. "Thank you for finding me and most likely getting life threatening sick as Alex puts it." Alex gave a playful glare from the corner of the room while Joe waved it off.

"You are our friend Jinx, of course naturally we will be worried about your idiotic self." Joe smirked, wincing as Alex hit his head with the little hammer thing they use to test reflexes.

"Stop messing with the sick girl or no food for you." Joe pouted, but said nothing as I let out a wind of coughs.

"Lovely," I sniffed, finally regaining air after what felt like days. "Do not mind me too much with the coughing I have a lot of problems with it when I am sick."

"Jesus Jinx! You scared me!" Gina said from beside, slightly petting my back. "Almost thought I had to preform CPR and I love you girl I do but not enough to go lesbian on you." We looked at Alex.

"Do not look at me, I would of had one of the boys do it."

"I would do it!" Joe screamed happily followed by an 'ow!'.

"Anyway," Alex looked back at Joe. "Feel free to use any of the cots laying about Jinx. After I check on Blue's condition and call up their parents I will have a look at you alright?" I nodded, watching as Alex took a distraught Blue away. Gina ran to his side, grabbing random tools as she passed various desks before disappearing behind a curtain. The room slightly darkened as he went by the light switch in case, I suppose, if we wanted to sleep.

"Come here for a second Jinx. I promise no funny business." Joe tapped the empty space beside him and I obliged, taking a comfortable seat next to him. He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing his hands up and down to take the bitter edge of cold off.

"You know, I use to have a mother once, she was very pretty just like you." Joe started, startling me with this information. "She would always make homemade lunches for me and my father when he worked late at the mill. I remember it all clearly. A sunshine filled smile with calming sea blue eyes and the smell of honey suckle, her favorite flowers. We always had our neighbors, Kurt's family over for dinner every night."

"You and Kurt are not related?" I gasped, feeling kind of bad for interrupting his tale. He smiled, as if he had heard the same proclamation before.

"We look similar but we are not related by blood. Although, considering all the years we played together he is my brother in some ways." He playfully glared. "Now wait until the end to ask questions."

"One night, my mother fell ill which happened a lot due to her lack of immunity to things in the city. The doctors felt that it would be best to move her here, to Flowerbud where we met Woody who is more like a grandfather to us. She began to get better, I remember seeing her outside often cuddling with father when the fireflies came out." His face darkened; the air becoming thick with tension and grief.

"She collapsed one night and we brought her to Alex's father. He said that she was having a heart attack but at the time, we could not pin point why. She died with very night in this bed." He rubbed the sheet as the memory rewound in a painful circle.

"Even in near death, her smile still lit the room with a little warmth, a little hope, as if she would pull through. To sit up again and hug her husband and child. To have the smell of fresh baked lunches and honey suckles around the house to a point a person could get drunk off of the smell. Yet, she had let go, entering the world of no return and darkness." A tear silently fell down his face.

"Sometimes when I close my eyes, I see her smiling at me, telling me that she is proud of what I have done. But when I reach out to hug her one last time, she vanishes into nothing but an illusion. Alex's dad, when they did her autopsy, told my father she had ingested a poisonous plant thinking it was most likely edible, but it was in fact lethal. Whether it was on purpose or accident I do not know, but my mother, although she always smiled, there were times I would hear her painful sobs in the middle of the night, praying to the goddess for help. She was ill with a rare disease I once over heard. Something that slowly eats away at your internal organs until your body breaks down and collapses. I did not want her to suffer but," he sniffed, clutching tighter around my shoulders. "I wish I could go back and give her one last hug before she died. To tell her I loved her and that I love everything she ever did for my father and I."

"Joe..." Joe sniffed back a few tears, trying to regain composure.

"The funeral was held at the church in town and Kurt arrived alone with a scowl on his face. When I had asked my dad where Kurt's family was, he said they had a terrible accident and could not attend. I went to talk to Kurt, but he shoved me away, panic rising into his eyes. That is when I noticed under the cuff of his sleeve a deep burn of some sort imbedded into his wrist. At the time, I assumed they were hit by a car or something and that Kurt could not deal with their pain, but it was much worse. Kurt's house was broken into one night by a local gang from the neighboring city. They tied him and his father up, raping his mother right in front of them. Once they finished, they shot her in her abdomen and stomach to let her suffer until her death. When you get hit in those spots, there is no way to really live unless swift action is taken, but she bled so quickly, so profusely, she knew she was a goner by the puddle forming under her. His father broke free, attempting to beat them up, but one man off to the side shot him clean in the head. He fell to the floor wide eyed staring right at Kurt as his own blood mixed with his mothers. That is when they turned to Kurt." Joe shivered as if he himself lived the memory.

"I will let Kurt tell you when he is ready. It took him a long time before he told me and I guess that is why I keep light of everything. To make up for his horrible childhood and to make my mother proud of me." By now, silent tears fell down my face as my brain processed the information. To have so much done so quickly was unbearable and even without Joe telling me Kurt's details, I had a strange feeling I knew what he went through.

_*Tie her up! We cannot have her running for help!*_

"A similar situation," I mumbled under my breath.

"That is why I want you to be friends with Kurt. Maybe it will show him life is not as bad as he perceives it." Joe smiled, wiping the tears as they fell down my face. I smiled a tear filled smile.

"I will try Kurt. I will try."

"Jinx please come here so I can check your wounds." Alex called quietly into the room. Joe gave a sad smile, but quickly wiped any evidence of my tears off my face. Alex waited patiently, taking my hand to guide me in a similar direction they took Blue. He knocked on one of the white doors, and Blue stepped out, keeping his head low. He followed the path back to the room.

"Gina you are dismissed. Go get some rest for tomorrow." Gina bowed, giving a small wave as she ran further down the hall towards the right. He silently closed the door, gesturing me to take a seat on the crinkle paper of fun.

"Take the towel off your neck Jinx." My eyes grew wide and I shook my head.

"Take it off."

"No."

"Jinx..."

"No!"

"Damn it Jinx! Blue told me what he remembers so let me see!" My eyes grew wide with fear as Alex let out a frustrated breath. I slowly let the towel drop onto my lap, still damp from my hair which hung in waves around my face. Alex walked forward, tracing the pattern on my neck from the drunken encounter.

"He did quite a number on you didn't he?" He stepped back, the coolness from his hand dissipating. "For now, I will give you medical tape to put around it but you will need to hide it unless you want to explain what happened."

"I know..." I sighed, relieved he was not flipping out at Blue. "Jamie also did a number on my face too."

"That does not surprise me," Alex breathed under his breath. He shoved a foggy glass of water, most likely laced with pain killers, and I downed it gratefully. "Feel better?"

The energy surged from within my stomach in minutes, fueling my body with some sort of numbing agent. The sting from my cheek and neck disappeared in minutes.

"Much. Thank you." Alex ushered me off to bed, heading the same way Gina went most likely to his own bed for a nights worth of rest. When I returned to the room, it was tinted with a much darker grey than before, but the shadows of the bed is easy to depict. Joe had pushed another bed next to his which lay bare of any body and was sound asleep in his own. Blue, who must of saw Joe's intention, pushed his bed on the other side of the empty bed where he too is sound asleep. I smiled, quietly walking to the center bed and climbing over the end to get in. I sunk comfortably into the middle, laying flat on my back and pulling the covers up. The room felt at ease, the light snores from both boys making the room less lonely unlike my first night here. The dream world began to pull me under, but right before it did, I could of sworn I felt a warmth on both of my hands.


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmare on my Street

**End of Summer Special**

**Chapter 6: Nightmare on my Street**

***This chapter is dedicated to my fans {how large or small either way is awesome to have :)} I thank you all new and old for reading this story and taking so much interest in my newbie way writing***

****Sexual reference, some foul language, and other just random things are in this chapter :D****

_The area was dark, damp, dripping from leaking pipes a liquid scented so foul, it curdled the sense. Concrete, cold floors, broken glass skinning the souls of the feet until the tips of the blade drip red. The walls, made of a stone material dented with thick ivory and dark crimson. A single wooden chair nestled in the center of the darkness, rusted chains and nearly splinted wood, jagged and sticking out in various locations. Voice echoed off the walls, whispering, taunting, plotting. The cracks of whips, the screams of the tortured, oh how long she lay in wait for freedom. They test her they do with their various shots and combat arenas. It sickens her. She is better off than the other experiments as they call them, but to be caged like an animal, barbaric. She waits in the darkness, her chains long broken off, plotting her escape. Play the part of the weakling she has, slowly day by day breaking the bonds they set upon her. They walk down, she can hear them, their heavy metallic boots and slashing lengths of leather coming closer. She waits, staring at the door, feet in fleeing position. The metal door opens, dark figures standing in the dim candle light. They approach, step by step, echo by echo. They smirk, she can see the intent on their faces. Her eyes morph into a dark blue and she attacks._

I bolted upright, holding back a scream that filled my throat with fear. A slight whimper escaped, but neither boy moved from their position on their cot. Veins pounding, thoughts racing; the scene of a sunrise light illuminating the back cot room of the hospital.

"It was only a nightmare," I mumbled quietly, taking calming breaths to ease the crazed beat within my chest. "A really bad nightmare." A tear fell down my cheek slowly, seeming to make a silent drip sound as it hit the thin white sheet. A nightmare, only a nightmare, I tell myself this yet the haunting figure of imagination taunts me still.

"Jinx?" A voice mumbled off to my left. Blue looked lazily up from the pillow with his face half hidden within the fluff of the white casement and cotton. "What are you doing up so early?" I wiped the sign of a tear in a lazy back of hand motion used when waking up to rub eyes.

"Nothing, just could not sleep is all. Why are you up?" Blue glanced around the room, every once in awhile his gaze would glide by Joe and then the door where Alex usually appears from.

"How bad did I harm you?" He whispered so quickly, so abruptly, it took a minute before I actually understood what he had said. I blinked, just staring at that fairy that is not hovering over his shoulder. (No really it was.) Slowly, I brushed my hair out of the crooks of my neck, holding it behind my head to present the markings that began to fade from that night. Blue sat up abruptly, muttering curses under his breath. His hand reached out, brushing ever so lightly on the marks. A warm touch with a cool bitter edge on rough fingertips cared for slightly after a hard working day. His scent, a musky oak and pine combination much like the forest that borders majority of the land. I leaned in ever so slightly, memorizing the scent the best I could.

"Jinx...I..." Blue pulled his hand back, staring at it himself with disgust. " I did not mean...I mean...fuck...I did not think..." I dropped my hair, reaching out to brush the palms of his hands with my fingers in an intricate pattern.

"Blue I understand." His now darkened blue eyes seemed to spark to life; a flame that can only be doused but not extinguished. My pattern stopped when he pulled away only to interlace our fingers together as one. His free hand, steadily rose, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my face. A beating in the distanced filled my head, a pain in my chest thumping quickly and rhythmically behind my ribcage. My throat felt dry as a desert, unable to make out any words or swallow any saliva that lined my mouth. Not that any did at this moment anyway. Blue's face seemed closer somehow, I could feel his pants of breath wash across my face, a slight hint of mint on his breath. Another extreme earthy tone mixing into the pot. His eyes glanced down at my lips, then back to my eyes, almost asking for permission to do what I have only read in my romance novels. So close, so very close, just a small lean forward and his question would be answered.

"Blue? Jinx? What are you two doing up?" A voice shattered the veil of silence, causing a blush to creep on my face and Blue to bounce back. I carefully turned behind me to see Joe sitting upright, a daze, sleepy look in his eyes. I dropped my hair back into place before the bruise could be exposed.

"I could not sleep Joe, no big deal." The voice wavered slightly, nervous as if it were almost caught doing something illegal. But what? His gaze felt calculated, focused on my face with what little focus he had from the morning daze. He seemed to agree with something behind his eyes, but simply replied with a nod.

"You should come sleep in my bed then if you have problems," Just as he said that, Alex walked in, smacking Joe's head with a clip board.

"So Blue, how are you feeling this morning? I assume you did not catch a cold despite the weather." Blue nodded, keeping his head low and out of the line of the piercing gaze. "And you Mr. Trouble?" Joe pouted.

"Why do I get the nickname Mr. Trouble?" Alex just slightly glared. He seemed to be heading for a lecture towards Joe and his wise ass-ness but Alex had started it. Blue took slight discomfort in his spot, every once in awhile fidgeting with the sheet that draped his legs. Although his gaze pointed south, his lips still stood out most with their light pink tint and the fullness jetting out away from the face. I shook my head, feeling the heat rise up to my face again.

_'That is just stupid Jinx! Why are you thinking about that?'_

_**'Because you like him.'**_

_'Oh no you don't! Stories start out like this when a love interest is about to happen and I will not have that happen!'_

_**'Damn right this will happen! I created you!'**_

_'No you didn't! My mother did from her vagina and my dad's seamen thank you very much!'_

**_'Oh what ever! I will be back and damn well I will bring some arsenal.'_**

_'Yeah that's right! Run away!'_

A dry sensation built up in my throat and an urge to cough came up. I held my throat, letting the spill of coughs fill the room to silence all those talking. Once I could finally breathe (and believe me as attractive as snot and tears look) Alex held a cup of what was most likely herbal tea, Blue had vanished to where I am not sure, and Joe just turned his head while I got readjusted.

"What am I going to do with you Jinx?" Alex sighed, pushing the herbal tea into my hands. I grimaced at the cup, glaring at it as if it would go away. I wish it would go away. Herbal tea, no matter how healthy it is for you just taste plain out disgusting to me. Maybe if I just "accidentally" shoved it onto the floor... or his apron...

"I know what you are thinking and unless you want a tube shoved down your throat I would drink it." Alex mumbled as he walked to check on two other cots from the other side of the room.

"You do not like herbal tea Jinx?" Joe asked extremely close to my ear. A warm, rough texture tilted my face to the side, pushing it slightly up towards a Joe who somehow became taller than me. He inched closer, his breath washing over my lips with a citrus tang. "Would you like me to sweeten it up with my mouth?"

"Joe you are free to leave. I have to work with Jinx." If looks could kill, Joe would be fifty feet underground with more than a dagger to prove the murder. Alex (quite literally) picked Joe up by his collar and threw him out the hospital door onto the rocky pathway. Luckily Joe was unharmed, shrugging off the toss and heading back to work after a day wasted. A thick, clogging lump formed in my throat as Alex turned his heated gaze towards me, stalking with an aura of irritation circling around him. Gina and Martha must of sensed something in the distance or still remained asleep, for they did not show at all during the events.

"Seriously Jinx!" And here goes Alex. "If he gets up close to you like that or makes a remark do something! Do not let yourself be trampled on!" Alex huffed out in one breath. I just stared wide-eyed. Sure he has yelled before, but not with such a tang of care or even a slight tint of jealousy lining the bitter edges of his words. I sipped the cup, forgetting the contents until the thick leaf tasting liquid hit my tongue. It took every ounce of the higher beings not to spit it out.

"Alex...are you jealous?" His face fused up in a bright red, from anger or embarassment I am not sure; however, it quickly left as he continued on with his rant.

"No! I feel that older brothers should look out for their younger siblings quite oftenly!"

"Sooo...you are jealous that the 'younger sister' is getting 'attacked' by a horrible bad man?"

"Exactly!" I just stared, placing my still full cup on a near by table. No way was I going to drink the drink from hell. . Alex coughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head for some strange reason.

"I am sorry for yelling at you. I do worry about you I do. You look so young and frail, like you need a guardian angel."

_'I swear to god Jinx I am like your guardian angel to save you from youself.'_

"Haha...I guess you are right. Anyway,I am heading out now if that is okay." He nodded, doing one last examination before sending me off into the world. The pathway home was silent, only the occasional scurry of wild animals running by echoed the sound. My house is in view, still broken down from the previous owners but at least still standing. Avery is no where to be seen, probably roaming around with someone or chasing another animal again. So close, one more step and then back to work on the farm.

"Hey." I froze in mid step, the heel of my foot digging into the infertile soil. The voice sounded so close, whispering the words in a dark, haunting manor. "It is good to see the little baby out of the home." I spun all the way around, only air remained behind me. Something brushed past my shoulder, whisking the side of my hair into an upward flutter.

"I will be back for you _my_ darling." The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up, my eyes widened in shock. There was no way _he_ could know where I was, but no matter how much I denied it, _his_ voice rang clear. _His_ touch, cold, heartless, and possessive.

"Shit," I cursed silently under my breath, glancing around to make sure that _he_ was not around. The air was still cool, the leaves still rustled in the wind, the animals scurried around, but there was no other human in sight. I looked back at my house, feeling unsafe and exposed out in the open.

"It was just a figure, a fluke, nothing more." I shivered even more, feeling as though the gaze lingered on places I would normally slap a guy. I sighed, rubbing my arms to take the bitter edge off to no avail. The house is obviously out of the question and it seems that Blue would not want me around. Then again, neither does Kurt but Joe and Woody do not mind me much. I have burdened Alex enough with my beings there, not to mention Dia hates me, so there is only one place to go. The grass crunched down, turning into the pitter of rubble brushing against the ground. A door to a familiar house came into view. My hand raised slightly, tapping the door for an answer. It screeched to life, a light slightly shinning through the crack.

"I need your help."


	7. Chapter 7: He Returns

**Chapter 7: He Returns**

***This chapter, well I feel is very important and will explain a lot with the plot and blah blah blah. As usual this will have some cursing and definitely sexual themes. There is also a twist in the line of who likes who as you will see so please no hate comments***

I sat on a wooden bench off to the left side of the cabin by the hearth. The sound of fire crackling and the crickets chirping filled in the silent gaps in the night air. Although quite small, the cabin held a small kitchen with a single stove and sink tainted with the same oak coloring as the rest of the house. A bathroom door, much lighter than the rest of the colors stood out to the upper right corner next to the bedroom door. There is no light except from the hearth and an occasional candle he spread about the house.

_'I should not have dragged him into this again.'_ I sighed, eyeing the sleeping Avery on the ground beside my bare toes. My mind raced back to the events earlier in the day.

_"I need your help." I stated, staring directly at the only person on this island who knew about my predicament. Basil stood in the doorway of his dark wood cabin, brushing the sleep from his aquamarine eyes. Once he came to, his eyes instantly widened._

_"Jinx? Is that really you? How are you my dear it has been ages!" His good natured voice, thick with the sweetest syrup of honey just like I remembered him. "And boy it must be a horrible predicament if you are at my door with that scowl. Please do come in."_

_I tilted my head down, following in Basil's steps in. He instantly ran to the hearth, creating a fire where the embers danced in sync. Basil ran into the kitchen, starting something up on the stove, then proceeding to run into what looked like a bedroom for something. A blue sheet ghost returned from the room, unwrapping itself to rest on me._

_"Now tell me what is happening." I explained the whole predicament to Basil, leaving out small personal details about the islanders. He sat, his safari top scrunched against his figure which leaned forward on his clasped hands. Without looking at his face, I could tell he was absorbing every word I threw at him, processing and deciding just as quickly. When the tale finished spinning, Basil remained still, only getting up when the teapot on the stove whistled to life._

_"Well young blood that is a lot for a supposed new start. Did you drop all ties with that place long ago?" I nodded my head yes._

_"Did you burn all your clothing or personal possessions that he could use to track you." Again, as painful as it was, I nodded yes. Basil was about to ask another question when the front door slammed open, revealing a man holding a fishing rod and a bucket of his catches._

_"Hey Basil! I did good today so make good use of all the fish in today's meal!" The man's deep, earthy tone echoed loudly, causing a slight pain to race through my head. Although a tad bit loud, the man dressed in a robin hood looking outfit minus the hat and it is blue. He has dark chestnut hair pinned up by a hairband at the back of his head. A few strands of hair stuck out at the front of his head, framing a dark sea within his eyes._

_"Whose the chick?" He pointed a tanned finger in my direction, placing his pole in its proper holding place._

_"Ray dear, this is my best friend I tell you about. Jinx, this is my partner Ray. Ray this is Jinx." Ray came over, getting a little too close into my personal space as he observed if I was a threat. Yes I had known Basil is gay and regardless of his decision on a partner I did not care, but being stared down under a microscope was definitely uncomfortable._

_"Welcome to our abode Jinx. As Basil had said, my name is Ray. I am a fisherman in these parts, but I only catch what I need that day. Nothing goes to waste in this house." I let out a sigh of relief that resided within my throat. Ray walked towards Basil, giving him a slight peck on the cheek and then proceeded into the bathroom. Basil and I stared at each other, not knowing when it was safe to speak until the faucet sprung to life in the bathroom. Within two seconds, Basil was at my side, tea cup filled with hot chocolate in one hand and a haunting gaze._

_"I know I have to make this quick before Ray gets out. You are not safe on this island anymore Jinx. It is apparent he caught wind of your departure and location. More than likely your new house could be bugged or the dog or an islander. If I were you, I would leave now before he can pinpoint an exact location and appear." He grasped my hands, slipping the heated mug into the center, clasping our hands together._

_"Please do not let him get to you this time. It was hard to feel the first time and will be harder the second time around."_

_"At least I am not so naive or with him," I grumbled sadly, cursing my younger self for falling for the lies. Basil shook his shaggy head, getting up as the shower water turned off. He went right into the kitchen and began hacking apart the newly caught fish. The room filled with the sound of a blade hitting the wood, smashing and cracking at it in some attempt to break it. A silent 'thud' from the parts of the fish falling soon followed after. His eyes never strayed from the blood, but the way his hand shook told another story. He was afraid for me. Afraid I would have the same events repeat in the timeline. Afraid I will be taken away from him just like the time before. I am Basil's only friend he considers family. To have lost me a first time scarred him. To lose me a second time would be devastating._

_"You can spend as many nights as you want. I can even go to town hall to make arrangements for you to live here if you want." I shook my head. placing the cooled cup next to me._

_"I cannot impose like that Basil. I will return tomorrow and I will keep you updated." He grunted bitterly, shaking his head back and forth with her decision._

And that ladies and gentleman brings us to the current predicament of what to do next. Basil obviously dejected the idea of heading home, but it was my home on the island. He along with Ray retired early to do what I do not really want to know. Sleeping hopefully. Which leaves myself awake at the stroke of midnight, watching the flames dance and jump.

"What to do..." I breathed, huffing out a breath of bitter defeat. On the one hand, I could continue to run, hopefully drop off the creep somewhere. On the other, I continue to live here and risk getting kidnapped again. Decisions, decisions. Life free or life encaged?

_**'You could always stay and fight for your man~'**_

_'Gah! You again?! I thought I got rid of you in Chapter six!'_

**_'I told you I would return! Anyway, why I am here is besides the point! Your time draws near to make a choice.'_**

I cocked my head to the side. A choice already had to be made?_ 'But it has only been a day!'_

The voice 'tsked' in my head, shaking their head back and forth.

**_'No, it has been more than just a day. Think of the events, how they add up. They are not mere coincidence as you try to pass them off as. Think my child, your life will be in danger if you do not keep wits ends.'_**

_'Wait! Who are you?'_ I could feel the voice smiling in my head, fading off into the darkness of the hold.

**_'I am someone, yet I am no one.'_**

"What the fuck do you mean no one?!" I growled, flinging the forgotten mug across the small gap. A sharp corner sliced a small paper cut scratch down my index finger before clanging loudly against the floor. Avery perked up, barking loudly at the sudden noise.

"Avery shush!" The pup quieted instantly, looking up with a hazed look and then fell back into his abyss of sleep. Rusted air hit my nose instantly, creating a dry patch within my throat. The small minor edge cut welded crimson to the surface relatively quickly to a point it began circling down towards gravity.

"Great," I sighed, licking up the flowing river of life. Rust with a pungent sweetness caressed my tongue with its familiar craving. Somewhere within my mind, the need to feel more than just a drop of life was needed. The air is thick with the same rusted sweet scent, darkening further and further into a red sea. I shook my mind away from the terror filled thoughts, wiping the screen of red away. After the incident, there was a hunger. A need to consume the red source of life until the painful dryness went away. Until the euphoria returned of a hunt well done. Just thinking about it now, how thick and lush it feels against my taste buds. To relish in the tormented screams of my victims or the pleasant moans of the aroused men.

"Jinx!" Basil hissed concerned and annoyed. He came into center view, the only thing showing is his face. "Come on young blood you cut this habit long ago do not start again!" I snapped back to reality, feeling disgusted with myself for over coming with blood lust. My tongue traced a path along the inner sanctum of my teeth and sure enough, two fangs prodded the gums. This also meant my eyes are glowing their molten mocha brown, nearly pitch black like the night sky.

"Sorry.." The fangs retracted into their hole within my mouth, returning my teeth to normal. Unfortunately the eyes will remain like this for at least another hour, maybe more if I am that unfortunate. Basil sighed, mushing what sleep he could away from his eyes.

"Just remember, that craving will go away so long as you do not think about it." He sauntered off to bed room, letting out an approval grunt before slamming the door. If it had not been for the pants he was wearing, I would have assumed I interrupted sex time. Not saying I have before...well yeah I kind of did but it was one time and I was curious to see how gay guys got it on. Don't judge me.

Just as I began to lay down, attempting to let sleep encase me, a deep moan emerged from the bedroom. Something continued to hit the wall, most likely creating an indent. My face fused up with heat at the jinx I caused myself.

"Ah! Ray! Please sto..ahhh!" Okayyy...time for me to sleep outside. I glanced at the sleeping dog, finding him undisturbed by the sexual things going on in there.

"Sorry Basil," I murmured, hiding my face within my hands as Basil screamed something about not using a whip. Definitely my cue to leave. The night sky embraced all around, creating a ballet of shadows. Critters scurried about, not minding the new creature added to their domain. The only source of light reflected off the dark pond; a white full circle dead center of it.

_'Now where do I go?'_ It was way too obvious Basil's house is out of the question. Joe would not mind me, but Kurt did not like me in the slightest. Alex would probably wonder why I showed up to his domain...again so he was out. That left only one person: Blue. Blue seemed like a general person who would care for me if he went to the trouble of near death by cold. On the other hand, he seemed uncomfortable with me in his presence. Only one place remained, a last resort I would eventually would have had to face.

Home seemed so close by, radiating a dark aurora of fear. I pressed my hand against the wood, watching it swing open easily as if it was day one once again. Shadows of images haunted the darkest corners of the room, not even a speck of light could penetrate the darkness.

"Home sweet home," I murmured, dropping head first onto the small bed so foreign to me. His voice entered my head, haunting and laughing at my expense.

_'Why so relieved my deal angel?'_

_**'Go away Daaron. You no longer control me.'**_

_'Oh come now dear, you know you still love me.'_

**_'After locking me up and torturing me for all those years?! Are you fucking daft man?!'_**

Daaron chuckled, sending an unwelcome chill down my spine. His cold breath seemed to wash over the nape of my neck.

_'Would you like a reminder of how good I treat you angel?'_ Something in my mind clicked, sending a sensual wave throughout my body, aimed for my core. I gasped out a breath, feeling the heat overtake my mind and body. There is urge to rip the barrier of close off in order to stand fully naked, erect and ready. My chest tightened in anticipation, the buds standing hard and erect. Underwear, which I was not fully aware of until they became increasingly tight dampened quickly to a point of almost a liquid puddle.

_'That is right my little angel. Let me help you put out the flame. You know you want it.'_

A pant escaped my lips, moaning at the offer as well as the growing need. Just one touch. Just one to soothe the ache. A hand, a kiss, a tongue, anything...

I snapped back from the heated daze, growling at Daaron's voice and manipulation.

_'In time my angel, you will come back to me.'_ His voice vanished into the night air, leaving it heated with my desire. I felt naked, although my clothes remained on and vulnerable. I swore before I came here not to let him control me, but here I am, letting him manipulate my thoughts and my body.

"Now what do I do?" I mumbled, feeling the urge beating at the barrier of my mind. I scanned the dark room, ensuring no one was around to see what I was about to do. The clothes fell to the floor, a bra and underwear joining the bunch. A soft cool breeze blew in from the gaps around the house, sending a pleasant chill up my bare back. My hand moved up, a slow sensual and temping dance across the pale field, stopping to the mound of swollen flesh. Then, it squeezed.

.(oxo).

A loud rapping, almost to the point of tearing down the small door rang in my ears, awaking my body from the needed rest. Last night, although a single round did the trick to ease off the nerves despite being brought up by them in the first place.

"Coming," I yawned, wrapping the white sheet around my naked frame. It did not cover much, but it was suitable for now.

Upon answering the door, it was the last person I had expected to see. His hat is missing, uncovering his beady crystal blue eyes.

"Jamie?" I yawned again, shifting a little more uncomfortably under the sheet. "What are you doing at my door?" Jamie scanned my body, a bright red blush covering his face. I glanced down, a deep blush rising to my face as well. The sheet, as I feared, did not cover anything and in fact clung to the sides of my frame. Every ridge, every curve, even my swollen breast shinned through in full colored detail. Jamie turned away, the blush still evident on his face.

"The mayor wanted me to remind you about the Flower Festival coming up in a few days. That is all." He spun on his heels, bolting in the opposite direction without a word more.

_'At least no one else will see me like that,'_ I thought bitterly, biting my tongue to prevent a scream as Joe came sauntering over, glancing at the open door before making his way over.

"Hey Jinx! Do you have a moment?" Joe smiled a sun bright smile, unaware of the condition I was in. I hid behind the door, folding an arm over my chest in precaution. I gave the best convincing smile I could muster up.

"Hey Joe. Yeah what is up?" He glanced around, finally focusing on the sheet draped to the floor where my feet should be.

"Going as a ghost today are we?"

"Obviously." Joe chuckled, brushing the small beads of sweat from his forehead. Upon closer examination, he recently finished a job under the grueling sun, yet still remained smiling.

"I would like to invite you over again for dinner. Not for tonight of course. Possibly tomorrow if that is okay with you."

"You sure Kurt will not mind?" The last night of that fight flashed within my mind. Kurt was enraged at the fact I entered his domain. Definitely do not want that to happen again.

"Kurt actually suggested this." My jaw probably hit the floor and the sheet slid slightly down. Kurt actually suggested this? Not Joe? Not Woody but Kurt? Someone must be playing a prank on me. A fluke even. Maybe Kurt was sick from the time Joe went to find me in the rain? That is always a possibility...

Joe coughed, his gaze lingering on my cleavage area. It took all of two moments to realize what I had done. When the shocking news hit, the blanket slipped from my top, revealing the tops of my valleys hidden under it. A heated blush rose up, lighting every part of my body with the red trail. Joe stuttered a goodbye, stumbling over invisible objects towards his house. I slammed the door shut, not angering any more of the fates with my back talk.

Universe:2 Me:0

Fuck. My. Life.


	8. Chapter 8: You said what now!

**Chapter 8: You said what now?!**

***Chapter contains cursing. Some sexy stuff... ;)***

We all sat awkwardly around the square table, all but one side of the table is filled. Kurt stared at the chip in the wall, saying little to nothing. Joe on the other hand was livid with sunlight, chattering away excitedly about his work and recent catches up stream. I smiled, politely responding back to his remarks, occasionally throwing a question Kurt's way. Once the noise of chatter calmed down, the sound of Woody whistling away and the sound of hot sizzling pans entered the room. My fish, although eaten days before by the boys was replaced with Joe's identically caught fish. Something else sizzled on the stove, spinach and garlic perhaps.

"So Jinx, why were you naked yesterday? Did you get some?" Kurt spit out the water he was sipping on, fusing his face red. Heat rose up to my cheeks.

"J...Joe! That is a personal matter!" He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"So you did! Ohhh Jinx you are a naughty girl! So did..." A loud _'bang!'_ echoed, vibrating the table as well as silencing Joe's banter. Kurt and his balled fist remained down; nothing but awkward silence filling in the tense gaps.

"It is her business Joe. Not our own. Butt out." His seat screeched to life, scraping in protest against the hard wood floor. Woody took this time to bring out a large serving platter, steam rising off the freshly cooked morsels.

"Where are you going Kurt?" Woody asked gruffly, setting the tray in the center of the table. Woody briskly took place in his seat, looking up at the back of Kurt's body.

"I am going to eat later grandpa. I am sorry to inconvenience you." Kurt practically dragged jail chains by the way his feet stomped up the stairs. The only true way to tell he was secure was the loud slam of his door. Woody sighed, furrowing his brow in aggravation and concern. We ate in silence and occasionally, I would steal glances at the stairway as if by some magical power Kurt would come back to eat. Woody and Joe at majority of the food, glancing at my scarcely eaten plate with the rest pushed around to appear to have been touched.

"Here," Joe sighed, handing over a pre-made plate of the dinner. "Can you take this up to him? He usually does not eat during the day and if he does not, he will end up in the Clinic." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, sighing slightly once Woody left the room to clean.

"It was my fault for bringing up that type of topic and I am sorry. It was not my place to assume let alone make accusations." I stood up, patting his shoulder with a smile.

"It is okay Joe. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you, but for now it is a touchy subject."

"Well yeah masturbation is a touchy subject." I rolled my eyes at his lop-sided grin, running up the stairs until I hit the last door on the end of the hallway. The wood echoed at my touch, calling out to any listening ears.

"Kurt? It is Jinx. Can you open up please and eat something?" No response. I knocked again.

"Kurt? I am coming in." I shifted the plate securely into the crevice of my left arm, using the now free hand to twist the knob. It shifted easily within my palm, unveiling the hidden cavern behind it. A rush of earthy scents rose up, mixing and shifting in the nature built room. Everything from the bed frame to the dresser to the mirror could be identified as a homemade fixture made of the same pine growing around the land. The sheets, a clashing dark royal blue against a white sheet and pillow fixture stood out the most in comparison to the rest of the room. A few worn down outfits from previous days scattered about among the floorboards, the cleaner sets just previously washed were folded nicely upon the dresser on the opposite side of the room from the bed. In the far right hand corner next to the dresser laid a door most likely leading to a bathroom. A waterfall of water sizzled from behind the door, quickly shutting off into a murmur of silence. Without warning, the door slammed to life, flying into the wall with a hard smack. The hinges whined as the settled into place revealing a figure covered waist down in steam. My jaw almost hit the ground. Kurt looked like a completely different person. His hair, due to the water and lack of army band attire, remained slicked down to the nape of his neck. A few strands that decided to rebel curled slightly in front of his ears. And boy did working as a carpenter have its perks. Kurt hid his prized six pack abs under all those layers of clothes now revealed their dripping splendor to my owl sized eyes.

What I have failed to notice was the only piece of clothing wrapped around his waist, held fast by his left hand.

"Jinx?!" Kurt jumped slightly, his face fusing to life with an embarrassing red shade. I snapped out of my daze, blinking slightly until full realization dawned on me. Here I was ogling a guy, fresh out of the shower, meaning he was naked. My face fused to life as well, turning away to make things less uncomfortable. I held out the food, keeping my head turned away from his gaze.

"T..they sent me up here to g...give you f...food." The dish rattled unsteadily within the outstretched hand, nearly leaping to death from the grasp. I spun on my heels, walking robotically over to the tiny wooden nightstand. Somehow, my foot slipped on a flat surface.

"Jinx!" It was like a slow motion moment in a movie. I never really thought those types of things existed but I guess they do. Kurt ran over at hyper speed, wrapping his arms around my frame. Warmth not only spread into my face, but around my body in a warm flame of tan. There was a loud thud, the only real sound to break the silence was the dish of food, rolling away and then rattling to a standstill. The landing was not hard thanks to Kurt, but anyone could get the wrong impression. Kurt's muscular arms remained wrapped protectively around my waist while my hands seemed content on the top of his chiseled chest. His eyes gazed into mine with uncertainty; a faint tint of pink hitting is prominent cheek bones. One hand released its hold upon my waist, slightly brushing the tips against my fire red cheek. His lips, full and welcoming parted slightly, wishing to speak a word but remained silent. And then, something poked at my inner thigh. If his eyes could get any wider, they would be rolling away from his sockets and into a hole to hide.

Joe took this moment of awkwardness to walk in.

-0-

The week past in a hazy blur, mostly me avoiding Joe from his embarrassing questions and Kurt for… well the little bump in we had. Let me tell you, it is not easy working one minute and then jumping into a nearby bush as soon as you see one of the brothers. At least twice I fell on some sort of rock and twig induced pile. At one point I shared a bush with a stunk that thankfully did not spray me!

"Why so down Jinx? It does not seem like you." Alex came up to the house on this cloudless day since it was his day off. To tell you the truth it was quite shocking to see him in formal attire rather than the usual button up, black slacks, and white scientist lab coat. Today he decided to wear a soft moss green tee shirt, molding to his body practically showing off the faint outline of some abs he was working on. Instead of slacks, he wore dark blue demi jeans and casual white running sneakers. We and I really mean he decided to drag me from my sanctum, saying it is a perfect day for herb hunting not bumming in the house. I pouted along the way, internally glad to be out of the house and away from the possibility of seeing either of the boys. Everything was perfectly fine, until Alex curiously watched as I jumped into a bush as Joe and Ray walked by, fishing poles in hand.

"You would not believe me if I told you." I mumbled, feeling the sting of forest floor burn bubble up.

"I am sure it is more logical than your recent obsession with bush hopping." He muttered in return, bending down to examine a pastel green herb. He examined it a few times over before adding it to the beige woven basket. I sighed, picking up a pink herb a few feet away. It is light in color, almost the color of the sunrise's pink but with a tint of purple. The herb looked like a heart, slightly smaller than both my hands cupped to hold it.

"Now tell me what is wrong." Alex sat down next to me on the floor, examining the herb within my hands. He nodded, telling me silently that it was good for consumption.

"You are not letting this go are you," I sighed, running my hand through the strands of my hair. It pulled out of my ponytail, falling back down into a stringy mess in my face. The sky looked a bright robin's eggshell blue today with a few cotton ball clouds dotting it. There were a few birds flying over head at one point, but the land lays silent right now.

"Nope. Now tell me what is eating at you." So, much to my protest, I explained to Alex the predicament, occasionally taking my gaze off the sky to gage his reaction. It stayed the same for some time, until I told him about the little… _accident_.

"So I was putting his food up on the nightstand when my clumsy self tripped over some floor boards. Kurt tried to catch me before I fell and it landed…how should I put this…" I made a gesture with my arms of me laying on top of Kurt, hands pushed against his chest, heads nearly level with each other, and feet intertwined at the base. Then Kurt's position, laying flat on the ground with his muscular arms around my waist, eyes wide with shock, and his legs gripping onto mine for dear life. I picked my head off the ground, only to wish I hadn't. Alex's face grew dark, a purple swirling aurora circling behind him. His hands transformed into fists, shaking with what looked like rage lining his face.

"I WILL KILL HIM!" He roared, springing to his feet. I army crawled the best I could across the dirt, clutching desperately at his shoes for some sort of grip. Despite being so pissed, he is a slow stomper. Like Godzilla only less threatening, longer arms, and definitely not green. My hand, thank the goddess, gripped the hem of the jeans, halting his foot in mid stomp.

"Alex calm down! It was not his fault!" I huffed, tugging his leg roughly back. Demonic eyes stared down at me, sending the aura of evil snaking down towards my gripped hand.

"It was an accident. Do not hurt him pleaaaaseeee?" Puppy dog eyes always did the trick in my hometown, maybe it will work for him. It was. The inner debate to listen to reason and seek out inner destruction battled ruthlessly. Back and forth his mind seemed to waver, eventually settling with reason. I let go of his foot, rolling onto my back with a wide grin.

"Love you Alex," I cooed, smiling up as he bent over my head providing an overcast of shade.

"You are lucky I love you Jinx." He shook his head, lending a hand to pull my dusty self off the floor.

"Now that the issue is settled, how about we get some lunch?" As if on cue, my stomach gurgled to life like a monster reaching out to gnaw at my hand. Alex laughed, mussing up my hair like a small child. I whined in protest, attaching my hands to my hair to settle it down.

We walked hand in hand as a father would his daughter. There were a few words exchanged, but nothing majorly important that needs to be repeated. As we approached a small light shack, the small print of words on the swinging sign became readable. Perch Inn swung happily in front of a window lined with a picnic basket drape. Once the door swung open, held open by Alex, it took all I had not to squeal. It looked like my grandmother's summer cottage I use to go to when I was a kid. Each perfectly arched window hid behind a red and white drape half way in between. About fifteen lightly tanned tables scattered about the dark dirt wood floor, each adored with two to four seats. In the center of each lay a pure virgin white candle, lit with a dancing flame. A counter made of the same color as the tables is pushed back towards the end of the Inn, lined with various sized and shaped bottles.

"Hey Alex! Long time no see stranger! And who is this pretty lady?" A south western voice bellowed from the position at the bar. A girl most likely in her early twenties sat on top of the bar, giving me what looked to be a once over with her fiery red-brown eyes. She nodded once, bobbing the few blonde strands that were not hoisted to the back of her head across her face. She jumped off the counter, showing off her badass outfit. Demi blue vest opened up to a white tank top and matching blue skirt billowed straight down to her skin tight black leggings. Each arm bore two skin tight black arm bands. Over all, she was quite stunning.

"Hey Gwen this is Jinx, the new rancher down the lane." Gwen smirked, grasping my hand into a wild hand shake.

"Nice to meet ya Jinx! It is so nice to finally have someone take over that draft farm! Say do you have any horses yet?"

Alex snickered, or was that the air around me? It is kind of hard to tell when your head is being bobbed at the speed of light.

"Okay Gwen I think you scarred the poor girl enough." The world stopped being blurry, but still spun on a weird angle. A blurry Gwen took a step back, an impish grin presiding on her face.

"My bad… So are you here for some lunch?" Alex nodded. Gwen led us to one of the tables toward the outer left in sight of everything but hidden from anyone who walked in. She handed us our menus, quickly scribbling down our drink.

"So what do you think of this place?" Alex said once Gwen departed. His head laid in his propped up hand, tilted slightly.

"I like it a lot actually. Better than my hometown that is for sure." _There is no crazy ex here to attempt to kidnap me so already this is nice._

Gwen took this moment to deliver our drinks, an herbal tea for Alex (seriously I never get how people can drink that sort of thing) and a berry soda for me. She smiled a big impish grin again, preparing her notepad for the order.

"I will have the usual please." Alex said, passing forward his untouched menu. She quickly scribbled something town, turning her gaze in my direction. Of course I did not look at the menu, so instead of fanning through it like an idiot, I pushed it forward as he did and said, "I will have what he is having." Gwen definitely raised a questioning perfectly arched eyebrow, but put another tally mark at what she had written.

Alex and I continued to chat, mostly about his research into the herbal arts of plant collecting. Basil once told me when he was visiting the city about such arts. It was winter here and since plants die in the winter, he ventured off to find new plant life and somehow ended up in my hometown. A little bell chimed, and it took all that I had from freaking out. Blue walked in, a timid smile lighting up his features. To the left of Blue, a fiery orange haired girl babbled enthusiastically about a topic. From her oil stained, worn down blue overalls and dirt encrusted sneakers, it was evident that she did something with the ores or maybe invented or both. She seemed nice for the most part, but something felt really off in my chest seeing them together. It is like a pressure beating painfully against the ribcage.

"Ah it looks like Ann and Blue are here as well. Do you want them to join us?" Alex broke my stare, giving a questioning stare. I stuck my hand up in a stop gesture, shaking my head left to right.

"Ah no…it is okay. They are probably on a date or something…" I picked up my berry soda, letting the sweet blue and grape flavors wash over the bitter bile burning on my tongue. I could feel Alex's gaze linger on my dropped eyes and then I heard their voices.

"Blue could you help me with my invention today? I feel it is almost done and just needs that final tweak!" Blue chuckled, most likely rubbing the back of his head.

"Of course I can help Ann. After all, your inventions never cease to amaze me. However," his voice grew deep with concern. "You should really be careful not to harm yourself in the process."

I could practically feel Ann's smirk through my mind, her hand reaching forward to grasp his. She faked a gasp, a look of playfulness sweeping her eyes.

"Thee Blue is worried about me? Someone call Alex! Someone kidnapped the Blue we love!" He laughed, a deep hearted laugh that sent my heart soaring into a pitter patter of butterfly wings.

"Ann please! You know I just worry about you…" Gwen coughed, breaking me from the conversation. I glanced up, feeling the numbing beat of pain rap at my ribs once again despite the smile shinning on her face. She set a bright beige plate in front of me, a silver lid placed over it to make it more of a mystery.

"Eat up kids! Made from the bottom of my heart." Gwen winked, sauntering away with the silver lids. Alex quickly dug into his dish and I just stared at what lay before me. It is pasta, penne points smothered in a thick gooey cheese sauce. Diced black olives and grilled cubed chicken danced along the top, occasionally popping out from under the white sea.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Alex mumbled, shoveling the food into a black hole. I blinked, staring blindly into his dark eyes. He knew this was extremely unhealthy for him right? Or did he get something he thought I would like?

"Do you really like this?" I asked, taking a forkful of the food into my mouth. The familiar flavor exploded into my mouth, filling every flavor cavity with the gooey parmesan, mozzarella, and provolone cheese. The chicken, grilled with basic salt and pepper instantly flared to life with the heat of a jalapeño pepper essence. The black olives cooled the heat slightly, throwing juices over my slightly burnt tongue. It is pure heaven.

"Of course I do. Why else would I order it?" Alex was a nice eater, but with this dish, it got all over his face. I stifled the laughter building in my throat, gesturing with my thumb to wipe the bit of white from his cheek.

"Well because…" a faint blush rose to my face. "I like this sort of thing. So I kind of figured…"

His booming laughter startled me, nearly dropping the food onto my lap.

"You are too funny Jinx! Yes this is what I normally eat now hurry up and eat it before it gets cold. Gwen will have your head if it gets that far." I smiled, digging into my food with delight.

"So how was everything?" Gwen asked, moments later. Both dishes were emptied to the very core, not a single drop of cheese sauce or dot of black olive left. She smirked, knowing the response without having to ask. Of course the food is naturally good, but I never thought it was this godly. I will definitely have to come back a lot when I can get some income. Or maybe just learn how to cook…yeah right.

"It was superb as per usual Gwen." She glanced towards me, flashing a dazzling smile.

"It was really good," I smiled, showing most likely bits of black olive, chicken, and left over cheese sauce in my teeth.

"Good. Do not be shy to come in a lot. I love having people try out new dishes I create or just seeing them reduced into a mess of happiness in the chairs." She turned towards Alex, nudging his shoulder with her elbow. "This one is on me."

"Are you sure?" Alex seemed hesitant and I definitely was against it being free. A meal that great should be paid for not given out for free.

"Think of it as a welcome to the island gift from me Jinx." Gwen sauntered off, quickly running off to check on the other guests. Despite her free meal, Alex and I chipped in, throwing a good amount of money on the table. He helped me up, laughing as I once again nearly tripped over the floor boards. I swear I should have a handy cap sign wrapped around my neck and a warning sign saying: Danger! This chick can knock anyone down as she falls. Be with at your own risk.

"Jinx?" Ah shit! I was hoping to avoid this confrontation. Alex gripped the upper portion of my arm tightly, feeling my displeasure of hearing his voice.

"Hi Blue," I said in a friendly manor, spinning Alex around with me. His hand left my upper arm, wrapping protectively around my waist. It really did not matter right now.

"This is Ann," He began, gesturing the girl who sat directly next to him. She gazed up at me, a warm friendly smile on her face. "She works at the Junk shop with her father Michael. Ann invents a lot but tends to nearly hurt herself in the process." Ann lightly shoved Blue, giving the impression of mock hurt.

"Blue I cannot believe you would say such a thing in an introduction! That is just mean." She pouted her bubble gum pink lips out, drawing Blue's gaze to them. My heart stopped, feeling the butterflies beat faster than the speed of sound painfully against my insides. Blue leaned into Ann, giving her a slight peck on the pouted lips. Ann eased back, the hurt replaced by the feeling I was almost foreign to. Love. To be cherished and treasured like a rare jewel. To be spoiled beyond means just to show they were thinking about you. To be embraced sheltered from the world and all of its grievances. Tightness circled my waist, bringing me down from realization. Blue was just playing me this whole time. He had a girlfriend and yet I followed him like a lost puppy. There is darkness surrounding the area, leaving my hollowed body alone in the shadows. A haunting smile appeared on my lips, not exactly reaching my eyes.

"I am so happy for you guys. Alex and I will leave now right Alex?" He squeezed harder, gazing down at my face for any trace of emotion. He would find nothing for nothing is left.

"Are you and Alex dating?" Blue blurted suddenly. Ann cocked her head to the side in curiosity as well, both noticing the arm holding me up. Before a singer word was uttered, a voice broke in.

"Yes we are Blue. Do you have a problem with that?" All the playfulness left Blue's face, darkening and raising his defensives up.

"It was just a question Alex. No need to be snippy about it." Alex snorted, fire burning in his eyes.

"Well why don't you just make out with your girlfriend Blue. We do not have to stay here for this Jinx. Let's go." I got dragged along, feeling the movement but not in control. From behind, eyes blazed heatedly, but that did not matter. The sky changed, clouding over with thick grey clouds to cover such a fine blue day. In the distance, thunder could be heard and lightning clapped the sky.

"The nerve of that guy disregarding your feelings! He should know better! After all the shit he put you though you would think there would be some common courtesy to spare your feelings! But no! He instead rubs salt into the wounds! . . . Jinx?" Alex was now eye level, his body crouched down, gazing up with a look of concern. A water droplet fell straight onto his face, hitting his cheek bone dead on. Another one fell, hitting the other side of his face with less accuracy than the first. Water started to pour down onto his face faster and instantly, I was covered in a chest. His hands released my pony tail, letting the strands fall flat down around my head. The warmth of his hand strummed through each batch of strands, muttering comforting, incoherent words. Wetness began to fall down my face, staining the shirt I was leaning on. It just dawned on me then. I was crying. A surging pain thrust through my chest, releasing all the tears and pent up screams into the air.

Blue had taken my trust, stolen my secrets, but he had hit one spot that I thought was too soon to declare.

He had broken my heart.

**Author's Note: Yes I know I have not been updating and im sorry! T.T So much going on and its…2 in the morning right now so it is not as great as it should be. Thank you so much for being patient and how did you like that twist? The real drama has yet to begin yet. :D**


	9. Chapter 9: Twisting the Fates

**Chapter 9: Twisting the Fates**

***This chapter is a dedication to one of my reviewers ThePrincessDragon :) Hope you like it***

****As per usual warning of light cursing****

Spring is almost over, the weather slowly ascending to unbearable heat, frizz, and complaints galore. The plants notice the change very quickly, demanding more water every day. Today is the day of the Flower Festival I think. I really stopped counting days after the little encounter at the Inn. Alex has been persistent, constantly dragging me out with him to go herb hunting. Gwen stopped by every once in awhile as well, coaxing me to test out new dishes before they were presented to the customers. Even Basil stopped in a few times, holding me steady as I cried into his shoulder. But those tears have long dried out only to leave their numbing powers behind. How did I know it was the Flower Festival then? Of course Alex barges in full swing, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. His pants came out raspy and rapid, his hair disheveled and thrown in every possible direction.

"Hey Alex…" I mumbled, laying half sprawled on the bed, the other half looking at an upside down Alex. His eyes bore into mine with a fire of determination, for what I am not sure of.

"Why are you not dressed yet? Today's the day of the Flower festival! This is the day to show the Goddess how much we appreciate her through flowers." Alex walked over, pulling a dangling arm up so my limp body would go with it.

"And you are going." I just raised an eyebrow, falling into a heap of mess into my pillow.

"Dwo Iah gotta?" (Do I gotta?) He sighed out an annoyed breath, most likely running his fingers through the wild mane. The bed shifted slightly, weighing heavier towards mid body. Light touches skimmed my back through the black tank top used for the hot weather.

"Listen Jinx, as your brotherly friend I say just go to show that no good prick that you are over him. Isn't there another guy you like? Or can pretend to like?" I picked my head up, staring through the haze of hair stranding my face. True, there was Kurt whom Joe continues to push on me, but I could never hurt him. There is Joe but he's more of an annoying younger brother. And, as much as an asshole as he is, there is Jamie. Or maybe I could just perceive as a lesbian after all girls know what girls want. But I do not find boobs amazing to stare at let alone act like it…

"Jinx! Are you ready yet?!" Gwen's voice busted through the room, smacking my door once again just like Alex had.

"She does not want to go because of Blue." His voice vibrated above me, directing the conversation towards Gwen. I could practically see her putting her hands on her hips, giving him a what-the-hell look.

"Sweetie that is just too bad because you are going. I even brought my spare kimono." I peeked out from the fortress of my pillow and hair, glancing in Gwen's direction. In an instant, my ass was off the bed, shoved into my bathroom, and my eyes blindfolded. Various portions of my hair began the process of being yanked in every direction, tugging at the buried knots. Another pair of hands made way with my clothes, which I protested the whole way, feeling the cool air hit my skin within seconds.

"Geez woman! Do you not brush your hair at all?" Alex. Figures he would be doing my hair, although I am a bit uncomfortable with him seeing my half nakedness. I rolled my eyes under the blindfold, stopping half way as a cool silken feel ran from head to my knees. A tightening feel bustled around my waist, tightening into a bow in my back.

"Hurry it up Alex!" Gwen hissed, throwing some wooden sandals on my bare feet.

"Why don't you try messing with this mess of hair?" He growled, yanking the brush rather violently through my unkempt hair. The two argued for a good five minutes, resulting in Gwen leaving the room to change into her outfit. Silence filtered into the room, only to be broken with the occasional hiss from Alex.

"When can I see what is going on?" I mumbled, wincing slightly as he tugged extremely hard against my scalp.

"In a minute Jinx. Alex is almost done." Gwen's shoes could be heard walking in, scraping against the tiled floor. A blinding light engulfed my vision, causing me to shut them instantly at its unusually holy brightness. In the mirror, a girl with strange brown eyes wore a mask of shock, looking at the person back. Her eyes, flecked with bits of gold shimmered through the surface, gleaming in delight at the tangled mess now laying in small curls down her shoulder. The kimono, a lavender purple leaving a small circular gap above the cleavage, buttoned with an amethyst under the chin. The sleeves, although very baggy were cut short so that only the top continued past the elbows. Small sea blue flowers and swirls cascaded up the dress, drawing an intricate pattern up until the neck line where it branched out towards the sleeves. Holding everything up is a matching blue ribbon thickly wrapped and bowed around my waist. At some point, the dress was cut short so instead of reaching the ground, it reached just below my knee caps.

"Beautiful isn't it?" I spun towards Gwen, my mouth agape at her appearance. She bore a kimono as well, her hair styled up into a traditional bun behind her head and a red waxy petal flower on the side. The kimono is a stunning emerald green that changed to a soft forest green at her sleeves. Laced at her mid section, a chocolate colored ban, tied into a similar bow around back. At the bottom, reaching her ankles wove simple white butterflies fluttering all the way around.

"Your kimono is actually modified, which works out nicely since you are shorter than me." Gwen smiled, staring at our reflections in the mirror.

"You know, it is better to move on if he is smitten with Ann. It is easier to let go than to hold on and get hurt you know?"

"Are you ladies ready to go?" Alex walked in, leaving me speechless. If I did not think of him as a brother, then I would seriously think of jumping him. Alex left his hair a wild mess, but it suited his black kimono greatly. Instead of having a design all the way around his, a single design of a blue bird against a bright full moon encased the upper portion of his back. He wore similar wooden shoes as Gwen and I as well as a bright sapphire blue sash around his midsection.

"Yup! Just giving some pep talk right Jinx?" Alex smiled, placing a gentle hand on my head. Gwen instantly vanished, running out the door to partake in the festival activities from what she had shouted. With his other hand, Alex outstretched it into my face which I took with a bright smile. It hurt to smile no less, but to see how he was trying so hard to keep me happy, to keep me going even though I just wanted to give up, it was the least I could do for him. Avery barked sadly as I locked up the house, begging to tag along. Alex told him he could, but Avery shrugged him off, running off into the forest in search for whatever dogs look for in forests. Perhaps he was looking for a bunny or something?

We held hands the whole way there; earning a variety of looks from some of the locals, but no one voiced their opinions. It was either due to my somber looking face or Alex's demonic glare. I was grateful either way. The sound of tranquil piano music floated into the air as town square drew near. Flowers of every kind lingered in the small flower arch created, and even more so in various boxes and stands somehow fitting in the small refinement of the square. Blue and Red mists, Moondrops, even Pinkcats lingered in every corner filling each corner with their scents. I found Gwen talking eagerly to a bulky man in a similar green kimono and decided against ruining the moment.

"You can go if you want Alex. I will be fine." He gave me a look, one of those I-do-not-believe-a-word-you-are-saying looks. I smiled, releasing his hand from my grip and gently nudged him forward to a group of people. He looked back at me again, in which I made a gesture to continue forward. Then, I was alone to look at the flowers. Back in the city, we never had flowers this beautiful, raw and fresh from nature. They were usually imported from around the world, dying as soon as they hit are soiled soil. For the few that remained, they only lasted roughly two weeks before dying for next season. As I skimmed the flowers, lightly grazing each velvet petal with the tips of my fingers, a familiar scent rose up from the rest. A bright white flower stood alone in the mist of colors, its petals pointed down into what appeared to be an upside down roses going down the stem; at least four to a stem. I picked one up gingerly, inhaling the light honey scent radiating from it.

It reminded me of a life I wish I had lived, one where childhood was playing with toys and giggling with friends about cooties. Where the teen years played like a bad love story with romance, pain, and finding the right guy who protected and cared as if I was a prized jewel. Life is fickle like that though, granting some with a great life while others get the broken, spear headed point full of splinters.

I put the flower down, looking at it longingly. Not a single wilted petal or a stain of impurities, sucks to say that is not me.

"You better not have killed it," a voice grumbled from behind me. Their breath tickled the back of my neck, making the hairs stand up on end. The voice is thick as ice and crisp as mint, dancing together to the muse of a deep, haunting tune. I slowly spun on my heels, coming to about nose level with the stranger. The skin is tanned, a little lighter than usual remained noted until a loose strand of purple hair flew in front of it. I gazed up, meeting the cold, distant sapphire blue eyes of Jamie, the last person I expected it to be.

"I did not kill it," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You could of if it remained out of the water for long. Plants need water, sun, and attention in order to survive. Take away one and you run the chance of killing it."

"So I was just giving it attention like you said it needed. I see no harm in it."

"You took away water which could have killed it." I raised an eyebrow, giving him an are-you-seriously-going-there-with-me look. Before another second of banter could begin, mayor Theodore took his position in the middle of the square, drawing attention to his announcement.

"Welcome everyone to the Flower Day Festival! I would like to thank those who donated their time and flowers to make this happen. And now, we can begin the singing portion of the Festival! Would anyone like to volunteer?" Now that was a game changer that I was not aware of. Sensing my disturbance, Jamie sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"In order to really celebrate the Goddess, the mayor believes that we should sing to ensure a good harvest and wishes to the land." He then smirked, which if it did not look so evil would have actually looked hot on him…no one heard that last thought. I did not mean hot I mean…ugly. Yeah ugly…stop laughing… He took my wrist, quickly raising it into the air above the various heads of the crowd.

"Ah Miss Jinx! What a lovely surprise for you to volunteer! Please come on up and sing for us!" Mayor Theodore gushed, ushering me up with his hand. The whole crowd turned, creating a sea of eyes and clapping to encourage me up. I glared at Jamie who continued to smirk, letting my hand go and pushing me forward. As I took the walk of pure shame, I could make out Gwen giving a thumbs up next to the bulky guy she was talking to. Alex, on the other side of the crowd gave a look of worry as the Dia girl glared in my general direction. I get it sister, hands off the man.

Mayor Theodore put out his hand, helping me up to the slightly raised platform of wood covered with an Easter time pink color. It was bordered with various flowers sewn into the side, four flower baskets in each corner of the stage filled to the brim with one type of flower in each.

The mayor gave the microphone into my palm which happened to be covered in sweat and fear. He hopped off the stage, joining the town in a front row seat to my embarrassment. I closed my eyes, heaving a deep breath before letting the words bubble out. (If you are a more listening kind of imaginer, the song I am using is Since you been gone by Kelly Clarkson/ A Day to Remember).

"Here's the thing we started out friends

It was cool but it was all preten-ened

Yeah yeah

Since you been gone"

I glanced up to see Basil in my line of sight, clutching Ray's hand sadly. He knew my words held pain from the past and it was about to be public without anyone knowing so. I closed my eyes again, focusing on the music playing in my head.

"You dedicated you took the time

Wasn't long till I called you mi-ine

Yeah yeah

Since you been gone"

Somewhere in the background, I could hear a set of hands beginning to clap in sync with the way of my words, but it was probably just my imagination.

"And all you ever heeaarr meee sayyy

Is how I picture meee with youuu

That's all you'd ever heaarr mee sayyy

But since you been gooonnneee

I can breathe for the first time!

I'm so moving onnnn

Yeah! Yeah!

Thanks to you!

Now I get

What I waaaannnnnt

Since you been gone"

The clapping grew louder in my head, a large set clapping in tune along with a few cheers. I could feel my body spinning with the words, moving in step with the timing claps. I danced around on my toes, occasionally spinning and bending down to my toes, slowly moving up to the microphone.

"How can I put it? You put me onn

I even fell for that stupid love songgg

Yeah yeah

Since you been gone

How come I'd never heaarr you say

I just wana beee with youuu

I guess you never felllt that wayyy

But since you been gooonnneee

I can breathe for the first time!

I'm so moving onnnn

Yeah! Yeah!

Thanks to you!

Now I get

What I waaaannnnnt

Since you been gone"

By now the crowd was really getting into it. I took a chance and opened my eyes, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Alex was off to the side, noticing my glance right away, giving a thumbs up much to Dia's disapproval. Basil was cheering with the rest of the audience, occasionally sneaking a kiss from Ray. Even Gwen and her man danced happily with the music, nearly knocking some people over in the process. One look stood out the most, causing a lump to form in my throat. The dirty blonde blob of hair contrasted against the navy blue kimono, allowing sunlight into the turquoise to sparkle like a gem. Blue stared up at the stage with a look of almost pleading as Ann bounced happily next to him at the music. I could feel tears gathering at the edge of my vision, but I closed my eyes before they could escape.

"You had your chance you blew ittt

Out of sight out of minddd

Shut your mouth I just can't take ittt!

Again and again and again and againnnn!

But since you been gooonnneee

I can breathe for the first time!

I'm so moving onnnn

Yeah! Yeah!

Thanks to you!

Now I get

What I waaaannnnnt

Since you been gone

Since you been gone

Since you been gone …"

The crowd went into an uproar of applause as I hastily retreated off the stage, feeling the tears threatening to fall. Many congratulated as I walked by, giving a gentle tap on my back, but none of that mattered.

"Jinx!" My legs kicked faster through the bodies, whipping the wind around until the world became blurry.

_'Please no…please…'_ Something hard collided with my frame, quickly stabilizing me into a dark, pitch black encasement. The wall rumbled to life, sighing out an irritable breath, but the arms remained interlaced within my waist. Normally, held in this type of embrace, I would struggle, but something felt it is okay to trust this person.

"Jamie," I heard Blue's voice growl. Just from the name, my body physically stiffened, clutching the fabric in front as if it were a lifeline. Oh shit…why he did not say Jamie did he?

"Blue," Jamie replied in a monotone voice, seeming to brush Blue's anger away as if it were nothing. Glares radiated from a force behind me, but its pin point direction seemed unknown.

"Get your hands off her," Blue growled, most likely shaking his fists in the process. Jamie shifted slightly, pulling my body closer if that were even possible. My heart hammered erratically behind its prison walls, in embarrassment or fear. Embarrassment for… come on lets be serious here. I am in the arms of a guy who seems to hate me (let alone attempting to save the Goddess) and definitely not a part of his stomach is scrawny. Fear for what either one will do.

"Make me," Jamie was most likely smirking, his voice lined with the heat of challenge. That is when light decided to blind me with its presence, peeling my body away from the silken cloth hiding the sculpted pecs under it. I squinted against the rush of light, gently placing a hand on Jamie's chest while using the other hand to rub some of the darkness away. Little tears built at the base of my eyes, a long, unattractive yawn escaping my lips. A smooth hand gently caressed the corners, wiping away the little drop of moisture. Thinking it was someone else, I leaned in, closing my eyes as the butterfly touch ran small trails up and down. The butterflies within my stomach fluttered, causing a small smile of content to dance upon my lips.

The light trails stopped short, embracing my chin within its delicate fingers. If I had been in the right state of mind, I would have realized the fingers grazed my chin upward, towards the blinding light only to be shadowed by a head. Had I been thinking rationally instead of a drunken sleepless phase, I would have noticed the tall red horns practically blasting their noise at the danger. Had I been thinking at all, I would have pushed away at first lime light, opening my eyes all the way instead of keeping them in the shadows. But I didn't. Soft, plush lips grazed my cheek, leaving soft feather pecks until it hit the corners of my lips and then devoured them whole. There was gentleness into the kiss, one with caution and uncertainty. There was also a spice to it, raw and primal laying in an edgy wake to spring in at any time. Before my brain had time to register what had happened, the mouth pulled away leaving a bitter coolness.

"What are you going to do about it Blue?" That is when my eyes snapped open. Jamie held a smirk on his face, his eyes practically dancing with a mischievous sea, raging against the unfortunate ships. I slowly turned towards Blue, a greatly noticeable fire truck red blush on my face. It instantly ran cold at his expression. His face livid with pure, un-adulterated rage and fire burning even behind his iris. His fists remained tightly clenched at his side, shaking and digging the nails into the pulpy flesh of his hand. But it was past the anger that clenched my heart slightly. Betrayed.

"Oh there you are Blue! Are you okay?" Ann bounced over, quickly wrapping her arms around Blue's shaking navy blue kimono. She had a similar style kimono as me; however, hers was wrapped in baby pinks and lilac purples, something I thought she would never wear. But Blue did something once again, crushing the rest of the glass I attempted to pick up. He kissed Ann full on the lips, smashing his face into hers. His arms, for a brief moment stopped shaking as they made busy around her waist instead. Jamie slightly tugged at my waist, almost attempting to shield the view from an infant before they could see the blooded corpses sprawled in the street and the damage done. My eyes remained locked as things between the two got heated. Ann, shaking off the shock quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging slightly at his tousled hair. He growled in protest, moving lower to grip at her waist, dragging her deeper into the kiss.

They eventually pulled back, both breathless and flustered. I tilted my head down, avoiding the gazes studying my movements from behind and in front.

"Well it looks like you guys have some things to do, so I will be on my way." The voice sounded fake within my ears, high pitched to a point of almost hysteria talk to even pass off as a lie. I pried Jamie's fingers off my waist, giving both parties a large, cartoonish grin before I ran away out of the square. There were a few shouts of protest, but the remainder of the crowd did not noticed, all the attention drawn to the next singer on the platform. My legs continued to pump with adrenaline, going in some blinding direction that the tears refused to let my eyes see. The wooden sandals caught on a rock, sending my knees straight into the gravel, tearing and biting off any flesh that came in contact. I kicked the cruddy wooden shoes off, quickly setting off into some unknown distance again. Gravel turned to dust. Dust turned to grass. Light became dark and all sound vanished within the darkness. That is when I let my legs collapse.

I sat on the ledge, sitting on my legs, hands interlacing with the grass for stability, and my head bent down, allowing the raindrops to hit the grasslands. Screams of anguish lashed out, echoing off the walls, but it all fell on deaf ears. Anguish from the past and the present into one present; a never ending nightmare that continued to haunt up until I die. I glanced at the water, looking for some reflecting but finding none in the dark, murky waters.

_'What if I just fell?'_

I glanced down at the water, watching little ripples dance along the surface, occasionally being interrupted by my tears. Small, jagged rocks broke the surface of the water in some locations, but the waters stretched further down to conceal the rest.

_'Would my pain end there? Should I do it?'_

In my heart, I could never bring myself to hurt myself, especially not over a stupid boy. But it was not just a stupid boy breaking and smashing the glass further into the wound, it was also my driven ex looking for his prized experiment. If I die now, that would all stop and I could be a peace knowing he will never have me. But just because one dies does not mean the problem is solved. No. He is on this island somewhere, somehow, and if I did die, then he would pry on one of the other townsfolk. I could never live that down if he were to hurt them, to subject them to the same treatment I went through.

Instead, I curled up into a ball on the little grassy edge, silencing my sobs into silent tears as I drifted off to sleep.

_He stood there waiting, watching, trying to get a grasp at what was going on. Blood smothered every inch of his body; a gaping hole took out a good part of his chest. I ran to his side, clutching his hand as I yelled at everyone to find Alex. To find anyone to help him from the impending doom._

_"Jinx," He whispered, clutching my face gently in a blooded hand. Tears continued to spill from my eyes, staring down at the crumbled figure below me. Time of peace had come at last, but my sanctuary was coming to an end, death practically waving his life in my face._

_"You take care of her okay? Just because I do not like you does not mean I cannot be civil." Someone nodded sadly behind me, wrapping their arms around my waist. I buried my head into their chest, the hysterical sob racking every bone in my body._

_"Please for her sake hold on."_

_There seemed to me a small smile in his response. "Even if I did, you are the better choice for her to have. I can say I lost to a worthy opponent."_

_Footsteps ran forward, brushing past and shoving the rest away. Alex and his medical team have just arrived and began diligently working on him. All I could do was cross my fingers and pray to a God that abandoned me for one and only one wish._

_To let him live._


	10. Chapter 10: Watery Grave Secrets

**Chapter 10: Watery Grave Secrets**

***Happy Newby Year! :D Make a wish yall**

****Will contain some graphic scenes as well as some cursing****

I bolted up right, sweat sheathing the outer layer of my skin. It was only a dream, yet it felt more than that. Maybe it was an insight of the future or something? I leaned back, feeling the mattress cave in under the weight of my arms.

_'Wait…mattress? When did I ever leave the cave?' _I glanced around, realizing that this in fact was someone's house meaning someone found my hiding place and carried me home with them.

_'What if it was Blue?'_ My skin grew cold, an involuntary shiver coursing up my spine. The bedroom looked nothing like the Blue Sky Ranch; then again I never went in their bedrooms. Despite the dim light, the walls appeared to be an eggshell blue bordered with a white wood trim around the bottom. A black wood nightstand sat next to the bed with a simple black stand and white lamp shade lamp. Surprisingly no clothes lingered on the floor; even the shoes were lined up on the other side of the room side by side.

"Huh! So you are finally up," A voice dully mused. I glanced at the doorway, trying hard not to appear like an idiot. Laying in the dim light of the doorway Jamie stood; his slightly sculpted arms crossed his chiseled, six pack abs bare torso. His cowboy hat is missing to reveal a bed head tousle of hair. The only article of clothing on his body is a pair of black and purple plaid pajama bottoms. Needless to say, they did not conceal the member underneath.

"I was beginning to think you were going to run away from our little contest." Jamie pushed off the doorframe, walking over to the bedside with both hands in his pocket, appearing to act like those cool bad boys from the anime I read. He slipped a hand out, resting it gently against the sweaty locks stuck to my forehead. A blush quickly rose to my face, most likely bringing up my temperature with it.

"You have a fever," Jamie mumbled under his breath. A string of curses flew out as well, but nothing I could catch. He walked out of the room without another word, enveloping the room into darkness. Through the door his footsteps could be heard padding down what sounded like a wooden floor into another room. Silence passed for a few seconds and then the sound of a front door closing broke it, but only for that brief second.

I laid back down, allowing my head to sink into the soft plush pillow, encasing my senses with a faint yet familiar smell. It did not last long before sleep overwhelmed all of my senses, dragging me back into the darkness yet again.

I woke up sometime later to shadows hovering over my head and something ice cold pressed to the nape of my neck. Voices murmured through the haze, looking back and forth throughout the conversation. None of that mattered. It is too damn hot.

"It's too damn hot," I voiced my thought, feeling my voice dry up and crack. The first shadow told the second one to do something since it vanished. The first one remained, trying to ask me I think questions, but all the words just seemed to blur together. I tried getting up to shrug the hot blankets off, but they would not let me take them off.

"Take the blanket offff…" I whined the best I could, attempting to shrug it off again. The shadow shook its head, putting yet another blanket on top. It is an inferno. A personal hell. They want to bake me alive like Hansel and Gretel. The second shadow walked in, placing something shockingly cold and wet on my forehead. The cold evaporated instantly, leaving nothing but heat and water. The first shadow said something to the second one, giving a white bag of something to it then walked out of the room. The shadow leaned forward, attempting to push some sort of pill against my lips forcefully. I held them shut, hating the taste and feeling of choking that came with pills. It backed off, mumbling probably curses, but the stupid pill was gone. Now if only the heat could go away…

They came back, but this time it was not their hand shoved in my face. The figure came closer; I could make out the ice blue eyes staring back at me with a blank stare. Then I felt it. Their lips pressed forcefully to mine, prying my lips apart. A rush of water ran into my mouth which I greedily drank down. I wrapped my arms around the shadow dragging them down for an easier access into their mouth. The shadow groaned, quickly retreating away much to my disappointment. It mumbled something, picking its hand up to its face, then quickly ran out the door. I did not think much of it, quickly falling back into the lull of sleep.

Summer approached shortly after the little incident and boy I was not looking forward to it. Sticky, sweaty clothes that practically stuck like a second skin. Constant complaining fuels the air with more moisture saturated heat. And since I live on a farm, that also meant most days working under the boiling sun, sleeping off heat induced migraines by nightfall. A soft rapping echoed through the morning; the sun barely peaking over the mountain tops.

"Come in," I mumbled into the pillow, snuggling closer into the warmth. The door slowly open, the hinges creaking to life startling Avery out of his sleep. He began barking, instantly letting out a happy yelp before running to the person. Noises of slobber and drool quickly filled the small space followed by a male voice laughing hysterically at Avery's antics.

"Easy now boy! Joe laughed, pushing Avery away countless times only to be attacked again. I sat up, stretching the kinks out of my shoulders and back. The bones popped in a loud satisfaction.

"Why are you here so early Joe?" I questioned, laying my feet onto the cold morning floor. Joe smiled an impish grin, pointing to his shorts. Instead of his usual beige shorts, he dressed up in bright summer sky blue bathing trunks lined with white imprints of tropical leaves.

"Today Miss Jinx is the summer festival!" Joe threw his arms into the air excitedly. "This is a day to hang out by the ocean full of fun, food, and games!"

"Isn't that what everyone does every day of the summer?" He rolled his eyes, pointing to the dresser in the corner.

"Hurry up and get dressed. If you are not done in five minutes, I am getting Alex!" Joe slammed the door, taking Avery along with him. I glanced around, feeling a bundle of nerves reach the pit of my stomach. A loud thumping hit my ear drums, taking out any other sound trying to enter. The sound of a whip cracking, slicing the air, screams of the torture. And the blood…splattered along the floors, staining the whip, and his hands.

"I wonder if I can fake an ailment," I mused quietly, walking over to the dresser. Without even having to strip the night shirt off, the pulsing of the scar raged along the lower horizontal path of my back. Despite the years it had to heal, the white disarrayed stripe of flesh remained stuck to my skin. It is very easy to hide, except for now, the dreaded summer time.

With no other choice, I slipped on the only bathing suit that could cover such a monstrous scar. Black short swimming trunks tied with a matching black string. Although a lot of girls like the bikini bottoms, they tend to give bathing suit burn which then scars the inside of a woman's leg. Not to mention extremely painful! Instead of the lime green bikini top I would normally wear, a long over the stomach, blue and black striped top held fast by two black strings over the shoulders.

_'At least it will not show the scar.'_ I thought bitterly, double checking to make sure it was not showing. Exactly five minutes later, Joe busted down the front door once again, Avery happily panting on his heels. He scanned the outfit, giving a disapproving nod.

"Why so old fashioned Jinx? I imagine you being the wild child in swimsuits! And this covers those curves I know you have!" I rolled my eyes, grabbing my special black towel with purple stars as we both walked down towards the beach. The smell of cooked fish covered in thick seasonings hit my nose instantly. They popped and sizzled on the grill, occasionally being flipped or scraped off. Some of the stall owners chatted happily with each other while the residents took place on land or in the sea.

"Yo Kurt!" Joe shouted, waving his hands frantically in the air. A still rather surprisingly spiky headed Kurt turned around from his position on the towel, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead. He looked irritated at his brother, but the glare instantly softened when he noticed me. I gave an impish wave, still feeling a bit awkward from the walk in. Kurt waved, laying back onto his towel to tan.

"Jinx!" Gwen waved at her spot by the water, her other hand occupied by a much larger one. Joe gave me a wink, practically shredding his shirt off as he bolted to the crystal blue ocean. I walked up to Gwen's spot, laying my towel next to hers.

"Glad you could make it!" She winked, gesturing the guy next to her. "This is Bob! He works part time at Hank's Ranch." Gwen leaned closer until her face nearly touched mine.

"He constantly works out and is extremely hot, but you did not hear that from me!" Bob tilted his head to the side as Gwen retreated. Bob has black hair that practically defied gravity as it stood as straight as a tower. His skin a deep golden color shimmering in the sunlight. There is no trace of a farmer's tan blemishing the skin. Like Gwen said he is ripped beyond repair, but a tad too muscular for me.

"Hey. Gwen talks a lot about you Jinx." His voice rumbled out gruffly. Gwen turned around, her blonde hair pinched perfectly up in a pony tail.

"It sounds like you are jealous Bob," she teased, leaning on his shoulder. I tuned away, watching the villagers scatter about in the waves of the ocean. Joe was the most noticeable, splashing every moving body with a tidal wave of water. Alex stood a couple feet away, dipping his feet into the little laps of waves. Next to him, Dia bore a simple emerald green summer dress, the straps wrapping around her neck. Unlike Alex who enjoyed the nice ocean breeze, Dia seemed to shutter every time a wave bushed up against her polished toes. Even Gina, her pigtail braids ran full throttle into the water, nearly getting knocked over by a wave in the process.

"Alright everyone!" The mayor shouted through a megaphone, causing everyone to turn to his direction.

"Now is the time for the summer swimming contest! For those of us who do not know, each person must touch the four colored buoys laid out in various locations out in the water. The first to touch all four wins! Now it is not as simple as it looks! There will be whirlpools and seaweed grabbing at your legs to keep you from your goal!"

The town muttered quietly, some already heading towards the water. Gwen tugged at my arm, rather roughly up with her, dragging me to the water. Alex stayed on shore, but Gina, Joe, Kurt, and even Blue joined the ranks in the water. The water began brushing up my warmed body with icy fingers, causing goosebumps to dot my skin.

"You have to participate!" Gwen shouted enthusiastically as if I have a choice in the matter. She was just lucky I knew how to swim.

"Ready swimmers?!" The mayor shouted once we all were treading water. We all shouted in response, lifting one arm in the air.

"At the sound of the fog horn, begin your search!" A loud noise blasted from the shore and everyone dispersed. Some went west towards the docks while others went out further into the ocean. Gwen bolted off to the east, so I decided to head north east. I was the only one treading the water, the shore growing further and further away. Shouts that lingered on the shores were drowned out by the waves as well as the constant noise of my arms. In the distance, a blue ball looking thing bobbed in the waves. A buoy! I tagged it, hearing a light 'ping!' noise shoot out. A digital screen put my picture next to the color, showing the way to the other three buoys for a flash of a second.

_'The next one is said to be to the west of here…closer to the little lighthouse thing in the water.'_

The contest continued on as I tagged the third buoy, feeling exhaustion starting to set in. Everyone was still looking for the third one, while I searched on for the fourth one. The green buoy. According to the little map, it was the closet one to the shore thank the goddess. I begin swimming forward, willing my arms and legs to go just a little bit more before they die out. All of a sudden, something latches onto my leg, pulling me under. I gasped one big breath, feeling the cool water surrounding my body. My eyes opened into little slits, burning instantly as the salt water brushed up against them. A dark shadow held my leg in place, the rest of the disfigured body hiding in the darker part of the ocean. A scream rose in my throat, but I threw it back down, trying to conserve air. Something began growing up from the fingers, biting into the skin slowly. Talons. I knew instantly who was holding me down.

Daaron's best friend and right hand man Centaur. Just like the rest of us despicable creatures, Centaur was born as one, part man part demon. Although his head always bore small points where his horns lay, when fully enraged they jet out, curling into a beige-yellow two ring spiral. His power he had given himself a few years back was the ability to grow sharp incisor like talons able to pierce even through the toughest bone. When in his battle mode, they black talons begin to glow purple, infusing them with the most lethal poison known to man. Overall, he is a dangers dude.

I struggled against my hold, feeling the points dip deeper and deeper through the bloodstream, through the veins, slowly tearing away the muscle fibers allowing the muscle to render useless. I could feel his fevered golden eyes glowing up at me from the dark, knowing not to hurt me but to render useless for capture. That is when I felt it. A powerful surge rose from the core of my body, traveling and changing every stream into a glowing blue light. Venom rose up into my eyes, burning them for a brief second, and then allowed them to open to see within the water. Centaur looked up wide eyed, throwing his talons out of my leg as if someone had shocked him. Blood swam around my leg and his fingers, darkening with the sickening iron tang. His face, normally a dark chocolate seemed to pale a bit.

"Dicetis domino vestro non revertar," ("Tell your master I will not return" loosely translated) I spoke in Latin tongue, feeling my fangs prod my tongue. Centaur visually shuttered, swimming away with his tail in between his legs.

**_'The coward! The fool! I shall not return!' _**A voice echoed in my head with venom practically spitting each word.

The perfect vision began to subside, bringing blurry darkness once again. The need for oxygen slammed against my chest with a full force. I scurried as fast as I could to the top, gasping for air as the water broke. Air. Sweet beautiful air. Water coughed up from my lungs, nearly threatening to push me back under once again. Pain jolted from my left leg where his fingers impaled my leg.

_'Got to keep swimming…towards land before I bleed out…'_ With one leg left, I trudged on as fast as I could towards the shore. Cheers were silent, replaced with frantic chatter. Festivities seemed to draw a black cloud of doom and despair overhead. A sudden jolt of energy passed through my bones once again, giving the strength needed to make it to land.

**_'Once the power goes, you will faint. It is up to you if you wish to live after that.'_** The voice whispered tiredly in my head.

**_'Though finding a new host would be boring, so do me a favor and live hm?'_**

"Jinx!" A voice rose from the shore line. They ran out, water sloshing around their frantic run. Alex and Joe ran synchronized, each looping an arm under mine.

"Martha! Gina! Get the first aid bag now!" Alex shouted in my ear. Joe gasped as he looked down, untying his bandana, letting go for a second to wrap it around my leg. The friction of the cloth and the salt water in the wound stung greatly, but I bit back a scream. Each boy took careful steps through the ripples of waves, constantly asking me questions. Most likely to make sure I remained conscious.

"Jinx!" A familiar voice shouted. My body went rigid instantly; fear running up and down my spine. Everywhere I looked, avoiding looking straight on at the face that would break me down.

"Not now Blue," Alex growled as we reached the shores. People were running frantically, gathering up the materials needed as Alex called them out. Gwen ran over, propping a few towels down, and then backed away as I was laid onto them. Alex continued to shout commands, examining the wound now that it was visible.

"Shit," he mumbled, carefully prodding my leg. "What the hell did you fight with a shark?"

"Jinx I swear I need to get you a beeping collar or something so I know when you need help," Joe tried joking, his smile not reaching his eyes.

"Jinx…" a voice whispered in fear. Blue hovered over my face, blocking the sun's hateful rays. His hair created an umbrella like curtain around his face, casting a dark shadow over it. His eyes wavered uneasily, glancing between the wound and my expression. Something brushed over my fingers, interlacing them into warmth. The warmth squeezed reassuringly as if I was the lifeline. Darkness swam in my vision; Blue's face splotching away into black spots.

"Blue move! Come on Jinx stay with me now!" Alex shouted, entering what remaining vision could be seen. The world embraced the darkness and the sound of the waves lulled my body into a restful sleep.

If you were to ask anyone what it is like to pass out, they would tell you the last thing they remember. Then there is darkness and the dull beat of the heart, struggling to pump blood through. There is a breath forcing itself out of the lungs, making it so you have to breathe. And bam! You end up on the floor wondering how the hell you got there. This darkness however, is sinister, spine chilling, a foreboding feel of death and coldness. The darkness rocked like a rapid sea, stealing away time and direction. I walked through it, wondering if land would appear anytime soon.

'That is what happens when you lose too much blood.' A white ball of light appeared, slowly taking shape of a familiar person. She is roughly my height, roughly an inch shorter. Her white hair reached her midback, swaying lightly as if a breeze pushed it along. Her skin a slightly translucent tan-pale color, but I could see right through her. Her eyes…a livid brown shining with her knowledge and events she had witnessed. Athena, my little sister who was captured along with me by my ex. Tears sprung from my eyes as I embraced her, surprisingly finding her warm as if she was still alive.

Athena is one of the experiments that did not survive their treatment. She convulsed and struggled against her restraints during the transformation, screaming for death to take her. My ex made me watch her struggle, holding my head in place so I got a good look at her closed eyes and clammy skin. She let out one more animalistic scream, and then her body fell flat on the table. Athena gave one last breath of life, and then her body shut down allowing peace to find her face for the last time. Daaron never told me what he did with the body after I practically fought him and his friends to be close to my sister. She most likely burned with the rest of the failed experiments in the pit in the basement.

"Jinx my rebellious sister who would chase me into the bathroom is crying? I think the world is ending!"Athena giggled, wrapping her arms around my waist. "But yes I am glad to see you too."

I took a step back, wiping the stray tears out of my face. She smiled her cocky infamous smirk, putting her hands on her hips.

"So what are you doing here Athena? What did Daaron do with your body? Why did you give up?"

Athena shook her head, most likely feeling whiplash from the line of questioning.

"First off," she pointed to the background.**"**This is a drab, overdramatic scene! Let's change it tosomething more comfortable."

In a blinding white light, the scene changed to an inside of a cottage we use to live at as children. The floor dusted with dirt from the various shoes walking around on it, but the copper color still stood out despite the age. Two old time forest green arm chairs angled themselves in front of a grey stone fireplace. Embers bounced happily through the orange blaze of the fire, creating a yellow glow. In between the two chairs, a light pine colored square shaped end table sat holding our mother's porcelain white tea pot adorned with matching tea cups crimped at the top in small waves. Each cup held a faint smell of hot chocolate with a small dip of caramel.

Athena gestured to a chair; magically changing her pure white robes into her favorite panda faced tee shirt and purple fuzzy pants. When I looked down, I smiled at the outfit she chose for me. My favorite baby blue spaghetti strap top draping down to my hips, continuing under it is my black and white plaid pajama bottoms. I took a seat on the right, taking one of the cups. Heat radiated off of the fire and the cup, embracing me as it did as a child.

"See isn't this much better?" She smiled from her chair on the left, giving an impish grin.

"Our old house huh? I cannot believe I still remember this place." I took a sip from the cup, smiling instantly as the warm cocoa and caramel danced across my tongue.

"Just like mom use to make." Athena nodded, turning her gaze to the fire.

"When he took us that night, I just remember being in the dark and wondering if we were ever going to go home. I knew that we were not, but despite that, I found it reassuring you were there with me as crude as that sounds." Her gaze drifted off into a distant time, recalling her events.

_Athena and Jinx held hands with each other in the painful steel wool feeling sack, praying that each other would get out okay. They were constantly thrown against walls, dragged across rocks, and tossed carelessly from person to person. Blindfolds sat on each face so the location could not be known during the travel. Their hands bound tightly with thick knotting rope, scraping roughly against their wrists until they bled. Once they arrived at the location of unknown origin, Athena and Jinx were dragged down a hallway; their knees skinning against the rugged rocks in refusal to cooperate. Still blindfolded, the person threw them into a holding cell, locking the door behind them to await their doom._

_"Athena? Are you okay?" Jinx asked, slightly wincing at the pain in her legs. Athena nodded, wincing herself as she felt the blood seep out of the wounds._

_"Jinxie? What do you think will happen to us?" Athena's shaken voice trembled against the cell walls. Jinx shifted towards the voice of her sister, leaning her head on her shoulder._

_"No matter what happens, I will do what I can to protect you Athena. I promise. I…" Jinx swallowed a lump forming in her throat as tears threatened to fall. "I am sorry Athena. This is my fault."_

_Athena leaned her head atop of her sisters, letting out a shaken, tired breath. "We cannot chose who we fall in love with Jinx. Do not for a second think this is your fault."_

_The sister waited in silence, keeping their moral up with light conversations about childhood, about their parents, and about what they were to do when they grow up. The door screeched to life, startling the two out of their wits. Muscular arms latched onto each of their arms, dragging them to some unknown place._

_"I love you dear sister," Jinx whispered, bringing her foot up to tap her sisters. Athena mimicked the action affectionately, feeling her impending doom coming._

_"I love you too my dear sister."_

_Another door screamed to life, but this time the unmistaken hospital bright light shinned even though the blindfolds. Their feet separated, one set of hands passing Jinx to another set of hands while the other placed Athena on a cold, metallic table, cutting her wrists free only to bind them down to thick steal against the table. They mimicked the actions with her feet and latching the last one around her neck._

_"Well, well, well… the nightmare sisters have finally been captured at long last. Dear Athena, you will be able to test out this formula first so I can save your precious sister." A snake like voice hissed from behind Jinx, giving instruction in Latin to the people in the room. Athena could not tell what was going on, the only thing she knew was the table was ice cold and the light was maddening blinding._

_"Now hold still," a gruff said as he shoved a thick tipped needle into Athena's neck. It plunged straight through her skin, puncturing her bloodstream lifeline, and probed close to her windpipe. A think liquid began entering her body full of a burning fire as if the body was being burned alive. Athena shrieked, feeling the under skin fire scorching her insides, burning them to instantaneous blackened crisps. Another needle injected itself into her chest, breaking right through the ribcage directly through the valves of her heart. This liquid stained a bitter ice cold, so frozen it practically froze her heart up as it battled with the fire. Athena screamed and thrashed, her body confused and on edge from these foreign substances taking over everything._

_She knew this was it; her body was deteriorating and losing this battle. It was not strong enough for the viruses he had injected into her. She turned her head to her sister's pleaded screams, giving one last tearful smile as her last scream ripped through the air. She fell dead on the table, her spirit rising from its imprisonment. She watched her sister struggle against Daaron's hold, pleading for her to come back. Daaron told someone to get her out of here while he disposed of the body. Jinx flailed against the guy carrying her out, leaving Daaron alone with the body. Athena watched in amazement as Daaron unlocked the body from the restraints and threw it carelessly into the furnace in the far corner of the room. He smiled as the body burned, the smell of burning flesh and blood tainting the air with its bitterness._

_"_After that, I searched around for your cell, hanging around as much as I could. When he said you were next, I knew this was the only chance I had at contacting you again. As your body took the injections, it was stronger than mine, absorbing them as if it were nothing. I took that chance to enter your body, absorbing into it so whenever you needed me, I could be there."

She smiled over at me, her fingertip tracing the outer rim of the cup.

"Although at moments you were a bitchy sister, I am happy at least that you live and escaped."

"For now," I sighed, glancing at the fire. From the corner of my eye, Athena nodded, turning her gaze back to the fire.

"Yes. I feel his presence lingering around the island as well. You know you will have to kill him."

"I know…"

"Now," she put her cup down, clasping her hands together. "You can always contact me through your dreams or thoughts." Athena stood up, placing a hand delicately against the top of mine as if I were a precious gem.

"I do believe it is time for you to wake up my dear sister."


	11. Chapter 11: The Hunt

**Chapter 11: The Hunt**

*As usual the chapter may contain cursing and an epic turning event )*

**_**The bold italics are flash backs from the character's pov**_**

**(Jamie's PoV)**

I swam up from the ocean, brushing the salted locks out of my eyes. Something seems wrong…like a dark brooding feeling lingering around the shore.

"Look!" Someone shouts from a booth. All eyes glance at the bobbing figure frantically swimming towards the shoreline, a deep pool of red surrounding the body.

"Shit!" Alex shouts, running towards the water with Joe on his heels. I turned away, ready to head home when a voice instantly caught my attention.

"Jinx!" Every nerve in my body froze, slowly turning towards the small medical group working over the frail body. Blue hovers over, kneeling down to the body's level. Alex and Gina constantly push him away, but he seems not to get the hint. Martha and Alex carefully move the body onto what appears to be a white stretcher instantly turning a red color.

"Will she be okay?" A voice whispers among the crowd.

"So I guess this puts an end to the festival huh?"

"Do you think the farm house will be abandoned again?"

Alex, Martha, and Gina rushed by as quickly as they could, but they could not block the view that will forever stain my mind. Skin as white as snow; dark hair carefully slicked back by the salt water. Clothing stuck to the subtle skin, stained with the stream of red life. Jinx, her kind nature that always irritated me or when her eyes spark to life when she is determining how to figure something out. The way her warm baby pink lips…

I place my head in my hands, feeling a phantom pair of arms wrapping around my neck. With others, I constantly distance myself, obsessing over saving the Goddess. Other humans disgust me with their phony emotions and overly dramatic life only seen on sitcoms. And yet…

My legs push through the various mobs of people, earning distasteful glares in the process. Adrenaline pulses through my legs, throwing them into full throttle for the one destination at hand.

_'Stupid idiot girl! Why could you not left me alone like the rest of the town?!'_

**_The annoying girl stuck out her hand after attacking my face with the other. A stupid idiotic smile latched on her face._**

**_"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Jinx the new rancher of this town."_**

I burst through the clinic door, watching Martha run frantically around to the other patients. Gina ran to a cupboard, pulling threads, gauze, and other medical supplies.

"Gina!" I grab her arm once it was free of supplies. Her gaze appears frantic, tears threatening to fall.

"Jamie…wha…"

"How is she?" Her eyes widen in surprise, instantly relaxing from the grip. My fingers unlatch from her arm, dangling at my side.

"Critical." A hard, painful thump hit in the center of my chest; something falling into the lowest pit of my stomach.

"Alex is working diligently on her, but…" she blew out a frustrated breath."She lost a lot of blood in the ocean. It will be a miracle if she pulls through this." A growl rose up into my throat, anger digging so deep, something needing to be demolished. A sickening sound rose up to my ears for a fraction of a second, but it instantly vanished under the sound of the pulse in my ears. My arms stop in mid strife, a strangle cry breaking through my ears.

**_She opens the door, her eyes slightly clouded over with a thick layer of sleep. Her milky skin shines in the light of the morning, but that is not what caught my eye. _**

**_"Jamie?" A yawn parts her baby pink lips. "What are you doing at my door?"_**

**_The other hand grips at a white sheet, her curves standing out greatly where the sheet clung. A heated feeling rushed to my face, but instantly darkens when my eyes lingered on a critical detail. Under her sheet, she bore nothing to conceal her girls underneath, allowing each swollen mound tighten under the spring morning air. I quickly turned away, scolding myself for even glimpsing at the idiot, let alone checking her out._**

**_"The mayor wanted me to remind you about the Flower Festival coming up in a few days. That is all." I run away, keeping my head down as the heat engulfed my face._**

**_'Stupid idiot girl…'_**

Someone held my arm back in mid-punch, allowing a liquid to cascade rapidly down my clenched fist.

"Now look what you have done," Gina tsked. She led me to a bed across the room, gently pushing me down into a sitting position. Blood created a small pool onto the sterile floor, staining it with the same copper life as Jinx had awhile ago. Pain did not hit the nerves yet, but judging from the disfigurement of at least three knuckles, they are most likely dislocated or fractured.

"Geez…" Gina mumbles upon closer examination of the slightly purple colored hand. She began setting the bones in place, securing each one with pressure and gauze.

"You know," she mumbles, not once letting her eyes drift away from her work. "At first I thought of you as an uptight prude who thought he was better than everyone else." Her hand hesitates, bringing her eyes level with mine.

"That was…until just now. You truly like Jinx enough to break your hand. Although…" she chuckled like it is an inside joke. "I cannot blame you there. There is something about her that just draws you in…"

"Hmph…"

"I do not know how special she is to you, but as of right now, you are far better than Blue." She spat his name in disgust. His name sent a ball of fiery into my veins, scorching them with a needed fury to beat the living shit out of him. I remember the day she is referring to all too well. The first day I actually felt something…odd… It was a strange compulsion to hold her and show her off as my prize to him.

**I stood around in my kimono, watching the town gawk at the arrangement of various flowers. The sun is extra bright today and that really annoys me, but I guess I should be happy as it is a sign from the Goddess for a job well done. Everyone adorns their selves with a simple kimono, usually with one or two small designs on the side and all obnoxiously bright. My kimono, passed down from generation to generation is a pure black silk stretching itself down to my sandaled feet. The sleeves carefully engulf my arms up until my wrists, where at the little bridge a circlet of orange fire ran. Along my body's left side, the same orange color crafts a dragon carefully setting its gaze on the prey. **

**That is when I saw her.**

**The idiot girl came walking in with Alex on her left and Gwen on her right, both instantly breaking off the chain to associate with someone else. Her slightly shorten lilac kimono waves at her knee caps back and forth with each long stride, showing off her slightly toned legs. The sleeves seem to be modified; only a slip of purple fabric ran down one side of each arm to a triangular point at the middle of the hand. She stops in front of my flower bin, examining a specific flower out of the rest: the lily of the valley. Strange she picks the flower meaning return to happiness. I walk over there, getting a closer look at the curls framing her face and the bit of cleavage left to show as a bit of a teaser.**

**"You better not have killed it," I grumble behind her, watching as the little hairs on her neck stand erect at my voice. She carefully spins herself around; realization dawning on her stupid face after a few seconds. **

**"I did not kill it," the idiot huffs out in annoyance, crossing her arms over the subtle chest I had seen weeks ago.**

**"You could of if it remained out of the water for long. Plants need water, sun, and attention in order to survive. Take away one and you run the chance of killing it."**

**"So I was just giving it attention like you said it needed. I see no harm in it."**

**"You took away water which could have killed it."**

**She raises a delicate eyebrow, challenging my authority over the knowledge I possess. A taunting, seductive look from the eyes of an angel. **

_**'You little…'**_

"Gina!" Alex ran straight into the room, almost literally throwing the curtain divider off. His face is drenched in sweat and his eyes seem wildly livid.

"Jinx woke up!"

"What?!" The two of them quickly bolt off into the critical care room, leaving something to beat with relief within my chest. I got off the cot, looking into the direction of a frantic Alex and a happily sobbing Gina.

_'So…she is okay…'_ I felt an unfamiliar muscle tugging at the corner of my lips as I walk towards the exit of the Clinic. I took one last glance in her direction, the weird feeling lingering within my pit and a small smile on my face.

_'Good…'_

**(Jinx's PoV)**

An annoying beeping sound decides to make itself known by piercing my ear drums upon waking up. To make matters worse, I know if I open my eye lids, a bright, blinding light will burn the fires of hell into them. I can hear Alex writing frantically on a clip board, constantly messing with the tube in my arm and most likely the monitor.

"Alex... turn the god damn spectrum light off." I growl, keeping my eyes close shut.

"J..Jinx?!"

"No shit Einstein. Now turn the damn lights off!" The lights gradually dim, allowing my eyes to open without the harsh burning. Alex's face is pale and off setting from the usual tan scold he bears. He seems older somehow. It is true what they say stress makes people age rapidly but to see a boyish teen instantly look like an over worked adult is quite…shocking.

"Does anything hurt?" He asks, beginning the basic check up signs.

"Not that I can tell."

"Are you sure? You do not have to be brave. We can always put a little more morphine in you." I can see the worry clearly lingering behind his charcoal eyes. I stretch the arm without a tube out, gesturing him to lower his head so I can tap it.

"I am fine Alex trust me." I tap his head again. "There is a lot worse things than a cut up leg." He gravely nods, getting up to run off somewhere. For a moment, I thought I heard a familiar voice, but it instantly ran away when a body came at full force into mine.

"Jinx!" Gina sobbed into the side of my cot, wrapping her arms into a long friendly hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" I gently rub the top of her head as she let a stream of happy tears out.

"Yes because I definitely plan for the most death defying grand entrance ever." She rolls her blood stained eyes, lightly flicking the IV tube in my right arm. There is a small pinch of pain, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"What happened out there Jinx? One minute, the contest is going all as plan and then the next; you are being pulled onto shore with blood everywhere!" I took a quick intake of breath; my heart began beating erratically causing the monitor to beat at a quick rate as well.

"What is wrong? Jinx?" Alex places his hand on my forehead which begins to perspire with cool sweat.

_'I…cannot…no…I have to…no…'_

"Jinx! Come on Jinx what is wrong?!"

"I…" A patch of dryness hits my mouth, drying up the ball of saliva half way down my throat.

"Jinx!" A familiar voice rushes in. In an instant, my view is obstructed by total darkness. There is a sudden hit of an earthy scent, allowing my body to relax into the embrace.

"Basil…" Basil backed up enough for his face to be visible; the lines clearly showing a restless night and concern. His light dirty blonde hair is completely disheveled, making him look like a little kid who works hard to be the son his father wanted.

"Alex, can you and Gina leave us please? I need to talk to Jinx alone." Alex looks at him skeptically, looking in my direction for an answer. I gave him a curt nod, ushering Gina and him out of the small cubical room. Basil waits for a few seconds until the footsteps could not be heard. He turns to me with the one question in mind.

"Jinx…what happened?" I sigh, blowing the frizzy strands out of my face for a fraction of a second.

"Centaur was sent out to hunt for Daaron's little _prize_," I spat, venom dripping from every word. Basil gasps, taking a hand and squeezing it slightly. He turns toward the bandage leg, realizing that is the work of Centaur's talons.

"I lucked out that my mutated self was able to scare him away before he did any more damage."

"So does that mean…" I gave him a curt nod; fear lingering behind his eyes at the knowing answer.

"Yes…Daaron has returned…" We sat in an uncomfortable silence, realization finally sinking in. For so long I dread the day that my psychotic ex decides to wreck havoc on my life once again. I thought for sure that he was gone the last time…Apparently he is not as gone as we perceived him.

"But I thought he…"

"I did too," I cut him off. "But I have to stop him now."

"You are too weak Jinx. Give yourself a few days to recuperate." I shook my head, feeling the weakness from blood loss settling in as I sat up.

"No I…"

"Am too stubborn to sit down and relax for a day I know. Here." Basil put a bright baby blue thermal in my hand, opening the tightly sealed lid. A rustic sweet smell instantly hit my nose; sharp points probing my bottom lip.

"Basil..I…I…can't…" I try to push it towards him, ignoring the animalistic urge to drink the warm liquid down. He continues to push it up in my face, forcing it until small drops lash up at the bottom of my lip.

"It is okay Jinx. This is not what you think it is. Just drink it please… for your health." The smell continues to snatch my senses and finally I give in.

**(Jamie's PoV)**

It has been a few days since I have seen the idiotic farm girl and for some reason, I find myself walking by her farmstead just to see if she has returned. The sun is slowly setting over the horizon as summer draws to the peak of heat. Even with the cool shade of the falling sun, it is still decently hot enough to seek refuge from the hot, humid air. Again, my mind seems to wander and then here I am, standing in front of her worn down shack. My mind continues to play out scenarios, as if something else has happened to prevent her return.

_'Why should I care about the idiot anyway? She means nothing to me. She is practically worthless towards my goal in restoring the Goddess.' _

"What are you doing here?" A voice sneers in the distance. I slowly spin on my heels, my blood boiling with a fiery rage for the creature a couple feet away.

"Blue," I hissed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I could ask _you_ the same thing," He snarls back. I cross my arms, glaring directly at him from under my cowboy hat.

"I was walking. There is no law against that now is there." His body began to shake, his fists clutching at his sides.

"Then get out of here Jamie. You have no business of being here." Something inside of me snaps, beating erratically, pumping a need to prove him wrong. The words left my lips before I could stop them.

"I do have reason to be here if I am her _boyfriend_." A triumph smirk hits my face as Blue's goes into a state of enraged shock.

"You are not her _boyfriend._" Blue spat, treading closer and closer with each word.

"And how would _you_ know? Don't _you_ have a _girlfriend_ to run home to?"

**_I walk along the dusty trail, heading to buy some more seeds for the coming heat. Up in the distance, I see the idiot and Alex walking slowly, his arm is wrap securely around her waist. The idiot has her head down, faintly I can hear what appears to be a sob escaping her lips. I quickly hide behind a tree, briefly listening as they walk by._**

**_"It will be okay Jinx…There are plenty of available guys on the island you will like." Alex consoles her followed by a hiccup from her._**

**_"I know…" she sighs sadly. "It just hurts a lot to be led on like that."_**

**_"I know Jinx…I know…" Their voices fade off along with their footsteps. There is a weird urge to console her. To tell her it is okay…What the hell am I saying?! Why would I have that feeling to console that idiot?! She is nothing! Just a fluke in my plans! And yet…why is there this feeling that all is just a lie?_**

"Have you not hurt her enough?" I snap, getting dangerously close to his face. "After all, you are the cause of her pain!"

"Don't you think I know that?! It is not my fault though!"

"Not your fault?!" I laugh humorlessly. This is not like me…but the words keep spilling out. "You practically broke her heart!" I shove him forward.

"I know I did!" Blue shouts angrily, throwing a punch towards my jaw. I quickly side step it, throwing my own enraged punch with my good hand in his direction. It lands with a sickening crunch, throwing his head back.

"That is why I am trying to fix it!" Something cracks under my skin, throwing my head to the left. The hit pulses under the skin, but it is nothing compared to this enraged feeling under the skin.

"Fix it?!" A foot slides out, knocking him off his feet. "You have done nothing but prove you are nothing but a low life player!" Punches and kicks continued on both sides. I have lost count and the ability to think, just the urge, the need, to beat him to a bloody pulp.

_'How dare he hurt her and do nothing about it! How. Dare. He!'_

This went on for awhile, I cannot exactly say for how long…my memory at this point is long gone. After the rage completely subsided, Blue retreats home with numerous body bruising and a huge bruise to his ego. I can feel a busted lip, a swollen jaw, and bruising of the rib bones underneath, but overall there is a feeling of pride….I cannot explain it exactly how or why I feel proud to have beaten Blue up over a girl. More importantly fight over that idiot girl.

"Shit…" I whisper up to the star lit sky, watching each one silently shine with their own brilliant lights.

"Jamie?" A voice silently whispers like a slight breeze. I turn around, seeing a small, slender shadow step into the moonlight.

"Oh my…Jamie what happened?!" Jinx ran over, delicately placing her hands on my arm. I did not shrug her off…What is wrong with me?

Her ice hands slowly trail up my bicep, walking slowly on my shoulders, finally resting the cooling palms on my cheeks. Something inside bubbles happily at her touch, to have her so close within reach. A prize to be won and win I did.

"What happened?" She whispered, looking up at me with her molten chocolate eyes. They shimmer and shine, swirling the molten lava chocolate with the light hazel inner color that just draws the eyes in. Tears bordered the rim of her wide baby doll eyes, a sight that draws me in of a strange feeling. My newly bruised hand reaches up, wiping the bit of sediment threatening to fall from those beautiful eyes. Her face fuses up with a bright ruby red, adorable as ever the way it travels across each cheekbone over the little crooked bridge of her nose. The way her skin is kissed by the moonlight, creating a translucent glow.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"But…"

A sigh escapes my lips; my arms snake around her waist and draw her into my beaten body. I lay my head down on top of hers, feeling the soft mat of her hair against my face. So close…her body feels so frozen against my own like ice. Her heart beat slowly gains rhythm, beating as fast as if it was to explode. Why…why am I acting like this? Why…does it feel…good to have this idiot…Jinx…in my arms?

_'What…what is this feeling? This urge?'_

I slightly push her back to see her eyes once more, but mine travel down to another feature. A small growl pushes up through my throat; my eyes close half way as they linger along her baby pink lips. Those same soft lips that taunted mine with their bright strawberry taste. Subconsciously she licks her lips and that is all I can take.

"…Jamie?" Her words, the sweet honeyed words she uses to talk. How stupid I was to ignore them.

"Jamie what…?"

_'This is a strange feeling…what…'_

I close my eyes, feeling the soft plush feeling of her lips once more.

_'What…is this feeling?'_

***Author's Note: Hey everyone! Did you enjoy this chapter? I have to admit being Jamie I was getting all riled up writing this! It was suppose to be released valentine's day but I ended up asleep ^^ll. Tell me what you think of this so far **


	12. Chapter 12: He Returns

**Chapter 12: His Return**

**(His PoV)**

"What do you mean she got away?!" I hiss, smacking the body to the rust stain floor. It hits with a sickening crack to the first two ribs and a fracture within the skull. How on a normal day that would be a pleasing sound, but with the bad news rousing through my head, no amount of death could cure the anger burning inside. The measly little pest whimpers in pain; his bloody head of blonde remains facing towards the ground where his injury joins the rest of the stains.

"L..Lord Centaur r…repor…rted s…she got a…away…" The sound of wood splintering shakes a shimmer of fear through the hyena skin body I have provided him with; his tail twitching anxiously back and forth. A few of the guards in the surrounding area flinch slightly as if I would not notice, but otherwise pay no mind. A pin drop could sound as loud as the roaring flames within my ears. The sound of my heavy steel combat boots click angrily yet at a slow predator pace across the floor to the crumple body refusing to look up. My hand shoots out to his hair, gripping it with brute force, pulling him up to eye level where he still refuses to meet eye contact. Good. He knows his place around this manor.

"Bring me Centaur now," I growl out, slamming his body into the ground. He wails out a shrill, high pitch scream echoing off the cobblestone walls. A noise that is least displeasing to my ears. My boot holds his neck in place as he screams to spare him; he will never make such a degrading sound again. I can feel the sickening smile form on my face as I respond back.

"No. It will certainly not happen again." His screams are gurgled for a brief second as the cracking of the spinal cord breaks into his windpipe and through the skin of his neck. Blood squirts out at a fast pace, pooling around the teen with fear expression plastered forever under his dead eyes. I spin to one guard, pointing at the dead body on the floor.

"You will clean this up. And you," I spin to another guard stationed to my left. "You will bring Centaur to me this instant." He bows, bolting for the door as if his life depends on it. It does. I sit back within my throne, watching as the guard cleans the mess as if it was a cup of spilt milk. Those who disobey me die. Those who let out a shriek of pain end in a painful death. And those, the worst of them all, who dare to rebel against me will be damned to the deepest pit of Dante's hell.

"You rang _your highness_?" A familiar voice chimes in; an all familiar smugness lining the air. I smirk.

"Yes you _lowly peasant_ I did ring for you."

"I am hurt. Truly. I am your right hand man not a mere peasant!" We both laugh, a familiar face taking his seat next to mine. Centaur, a childhood friend who, like my ambitions wishes for more power and I, the scientist I am, gave it to him. We were next door neighbors, constantly playing and harassing the local children of our area. That is, until a young brunette came into our lives. She is beautiful, slowly going through the stages of aging with grace of a goddess, never once a flaw to ruin her complexion.

"So you called me in here for the status report right?" Centaur's voice brings me back from my thoughts. I nod, waiting to hear it from his lips.

"I have found her just like you said on a small island called Flower Bud Village. She seems to distance herself with most of the townspeople but I think she is catching on to knowing we are watching her." I nod again, knowing this much information. She is not a dumb creature but in fact an intelligent butterfly. Oh how I wish my beautiful little creature would remain by my side instead of fleeing like that.

"I…I almost had her. But then, something happened. She began to _glow_."

"_Glow_?" He nods gravely, unsure but has an idea who did it: her rotten sister Athena. Athena is the bane of all evil, attempts to keep my love from truly loving me. My poor dear was devastated when I had to break the news of her sister not surviving the infusions.

"Her sister gave her the power to fend me off. Most likely the infusion Athena received became active when she died rather than letting her live."

"Fascinating," I breathe, taking a mental note to check the files again. A frown seeps its way to my face.

"But that also means my girl is much stronger than when she was first here." Centaur nods thoughtfully, but refuses to speak what is on his mind.

"Is there any way to capture her without more critical damage?" Centaur thinks for a moment, realization lighting up his eyes.

"There is rumor she is smitten with a guy on the island. Some ranch worker by the name of Blue. Not much about him but a mere peasant working with his family. Roughly twenty years old with a younger sister roughly eighteen years old and a forty year old father. Dirty blonde hair, slightly tanned, and has a bit of a temper on him especially when it comes to the girl." He smirks from his metal notes.

"Bottom line: an easy catch to draw her out." I smirk, feeling the wheels turn slowly in my mind. A weak catch and her weak heart to draw my love out without any further harm. Her body shall heal naturally from Centaur's attacks, but who is to say a porcelain doll should have any more damage if it can be avoided?

"Shall we begin the capture now?"

"No." I pause. "Strike out at a time no one will notice. A large gathering perhaps, where one person's _disappearance_ will go unnoticed." He bows, a sadistic smile matching my own as he walks out of the throne room. A picture of a beautiful sleeping angel sits next to the throne in an elegant black wire frame. The familiar face of a small, vibrant girl smiles up in the family photo. Her eyes shine vividly with a swirl of caramel and chocolate.

_'Soon my darling we shall be reunited.'_

**(Jinx's PoV)**

A chill runs up my spine, a foreboding feeling seeping into the air.

"Are you okay?"Basil asks from his position at the cutting board. His hair is neatly combed to the left side and out of his face. A hand is slightly raised with a chef knife in mid chop of the tomato beneath it. The typical baby blue 'Kiss the Cook' apron hangs around his neck with splotches of tomato juice and flour.

"Just a…chill." I continue to cut the green pepper on my board, feeling a presence leering down from an unknown location.

"Are you feeling okay? Was _it_ enough?" The feeling of warmth ran over my tongue at the familiar taste, creating a burning need to have it once again.

"Yeah," I pant, forcing the cravings back into the dark pits of my mind. Basil sits a comforting hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"You are better than him Jinx. It is just the things he infused you with that is all."

"…Yeah…" The afternoon proceeds on with silence other than the occasional barking from Avery or violent outburst from Ray on the lake. After the incident at the hospital, Basil demanded that I should live with them. Of course I openly rejected the idea, but once Ray got into the fray of the battle and insists, well…it is two against one.

A silent, almost inaudible rap hits the door causing a fit of barking from Avery.

"Oh shush Avery," I scold the puppy playfully. Basil chuckles from the corner of the kitchen.

"Sounds like our guests are here for lunch."

"Jinx honey!" Gina throws herself through the door right into me, casing not only an ambush from her but from Avery as well.

"Avery! You betrayed me!" I laugh as the pup slimes both faces. Our laughter fills the air with a happy note, until another voice breaks in the merriment.

"Um…is Jinx here?" My body stiffens at the voice and Gina's grip instantly tightens in an attempt to hide my body.

"Nope you must have just missed her," Gina sings, remaining in her position on the floor. A pair of footsteps from across the room echo towards the door, stopping within a few feet of my head.

"What do you want Blue?" I can hear the harsh snip in his voice, but to the untrained ear, it sounds like a casual question. Blue fidgets in his spot, remaining in place with most likely a determine look plastered on his face.

"Just…to talk to her…" He sighs. "Gina I know you are hiding her under there. Please I would just like a moment." Gina moves uncomfortably on top of me, finally allowing the light to blind my eyes. I sit up, glancing around as the dark shadow people become the familiar faces I know. Even the one face I wish not to see. He extends his hand out to help me stand up, but I brush it away and stand up. Basil gives a wary glance, Alex practically glaring from his spot in the doorway, and Gina looking like Blue should be squished like a bug. Even Avery, much to my surprise, sat close by with a glare.

"Fine," I grumble, walking out the open door. Alex grasps my hand lightly, giving a look to say he would be listening. I nod, heading up to the peak of the mountain with Blue slowly scurrying behind, tail between his legs. The sun is high in the sky, burning bright rays into the perfect clear sea blue day. Birds chirp from nearby pine trees, both a mating and singing calls. There is a gentle breeze brushing the summer grass by, allowing some relief to the heat.

"Jinx I…" I hold my hand up, slowly turning to face the man who has broken my heart on multiple occasions. The man who has caused multiple problems and now wants to apologize for it.

"Before you continue that phrase I need to know. Why?" I can see in his eyes the sudden shock of the calmness of my voice. There is calculation, a constant changing of answers before settling on the right one. His lips part slightly as if to speak, but no sound utters out. A pink tongue licks each lip nervously.

"Look," he finally grits his teeth together in aggravation. His head is poised towards the ground with a hard look on his face.

"I like you. Hell I might even love you! But…Ann is someone special to me as well. She is my childhood friend sine we were in diapers. It is only natural for me to have feelings for her as well and well…she returns the feelings." Blue turns toward me with a look of battle within his turquoise eyes, the eyes I have seen in so many different shades of emotions. He walks forward, his eyes never leaving my gaze. I can feel his hands slipping through mine gently and loosely as if I was a china doll.

"I do not know how you feel about me Jinx. Please…tell me how you feel." I stare dumbstruck at his face for the first time in a long time. If he had asked when the blossoming spring air struck hard with the petals of love, I might have told him I liked him back. After the chain of events, it leaves my heart to wonder if I truly like him or not.

"Blue…I…"

"Jinx! Lunch is ready! Come down before your food gets cold!" Basil calls up from the base of the hill. I can see him giving Blue a slight glare, then a smile before walking away. In the distance you can hear Basil telling the well earned news to Ray who exclaims loudly how happy he is.

"Let us go to lunch. We can talk about this later." Blue drops my hands abruptly, making his way down the hill to Basil's cabin. I let out a breath I did not know I was holding, finally allowing the awkward moment to dissipate.

_'Do I like Blue? Let alone love him?'_ I thought about how I first felt on the island when first greetings were done. At the time, my stomach was in knots, butterflies swarming into every part of it. When he and Ann shared a meal, I felt as if I want to rip her a new one.

**_'I like Jamie better anyway sister dear. Blue may be hot, but cowboys…'_** Athena lets out a low whistle of appreciation in my head. I roll my eyes, tapping my noggin as if she would feel it.

_'Keep off for this matter sister. I need a clear head but thank you for your fascination with cowboys.'_ I can hear her laughing lightly like wind chimes, fading into the back of my mind.

"Yo." A voice startles me out of the conversation with my sister. I spin around, coming face to face with yet another part of my complication.

"H…hey." I reply, feeling the butterflies form within my stomach. Jamie smirks, shoving both hands in his pocket. His face is back to the colors it should be and although his hands are still slightly bent out of shape, he can work with them a bit it appears. The wind blows his purple strands in a perfect line stuck under the cowboy hat that looks like it can be taken easily. His shirt is a simple black wife beater clinging desperately to the abs he produces underneath. His usual baggy blue jeans hang underneath with matching black cowboy work boots.

**_'He looks so yummy! Let me out! I will kiss him back from last time!'_** Athena squeals in delight, hearts radiating from every corner. I can practically see her struggling against my barrier to get out and claim Jamie's heart.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" Jamie glances around at the ground; a smirk forms as a smart ass remark passes his lips.

"Are you a cow? Cause all I see here to eat is grass and that is not food for humans." Fire burns under the skin of my face as I turn away with a 'humph!'.

"I meant in Basil's cabin there is lunch. But since you want to be a smart ass maybe I should not give you any of it." A shadow looms over, blocking the sun from my face. A rough, gentle touch brushes a stray hair out from my face, pushing it behind my ear. In the background of my mind I can hear Athena screaming about how great he is, but it is just gone with the wind. The scene is set with a perfect clear summer day, not to hot with a slight cooling breeze. Flowers already in bloom swirl and dance with the wind bringing a floral scent to the air.

"Jinx," Jamie looks down with a small smile on his face. It is one of those rare smiles that when it happens, it takes the breath right out of you. The ground just falls out from under my feet. He begins to lean down and I bend my head in reflex, feeling my face fuse up like a tomato, eyes squeezed shut. A feather brush of something soft hits my forehead and his shadow leans away. I look up, peeking out from behind the eyelids to see his usual smirk back in place once more. Jamie spins on his heels and begins his descend down the hill.

"Was that a yes?" I call to his retreating figure. He stops in midstride, turning slightly with the same smirk plastered on his face and utters one word.

"Hn."

"I invited Jamie to lunch," I smile awkwardly as we stand in the open doorway. Everyone gives a questioning glance except Gina who beams a bright smile. Alex merely shrugs; Ray is too busy gawking at the food to notice, but Basil and Blue both stare at me. Basil has a look that says "We will talk later" while Blue is seething with rage. Jamie takes notice to the fired up boy and gently places a hand on my head.

"Hope I am not intruding." Jamie flashes a smirk Blue's way, tension quickly escalating.

"Of course not! Come! Have a seat next to Jinx!" Gina moves over one seat to allow Jamie in next to me, of course the seat is right across from Blue. We sit down, helping ourselves to the food ahead. Knowing I hate fish, a perfect medium-rare burger sits happily on my plate with a bucket full of fries. I take a bite and an audible moan slips out of my mouth. The burger practically melts with its juiciness mix of salt, pepper, and some garlic and a bit of spice from the pepper jack cheese melted on top.

Everyone at the table lets out a small laugh much to my expense. I throw a fry in my mouth, missing about half of it as it sticks out from my mouth. Jamie quickly leans over, barely touching my lips as he bites the other end of the French fry off.

"It is good." He smiles, continuing to eat his food. Gina gives two thumbs up with a light blush before she too returns to her meal. I do not look up from my burger, knowing Blue is digging Jamie's grave and wondering why I did not freak out. This continues on for awhile with Jamie stealing food from me until the meal is done.

"Excuse me," I breathe out, feeling queasy all of a sudden. Basil stands up with me, ushering me to the back master bed room. He closes the door, leading to the bathroom where he knows what is going to happen next. I kneel down in front of the white porcelain throne, Basil holding my hair back. The feeling rises, running up my ribcage until the contents of my stomach spill out into the awaiting toilet. Thick, black liquid runs out at a rapid pace; images burning through my skin in an intricate pattern. I continue to heave out the liquid until it finishes the first round, allowing air to fill my lungs.

"Ah shit." I curse.

**(Blue's PoV)**

I cannot help but to glare as Jamie steals yet another kiss from Jinx. What infuriates me more is her lack of reaction to it. It is as if this has happened before. The mere thought of that burns the already burning fire higher up. I can see the smug little bastard smirking at me from the other side of the table to purposely wave her in my face. As if to say "You cannot have her but I on the other hand can."

I can see Jinx's face pale all of a sudden, voiding of all color and life. She looks as stiff as a board and Basil picks on it instantly, pushing his food away.

"Excuse me," she stands up, Basil going with her into the back room. The door to the bedroom shuts, and instantly I can feel some sort of rage overflow towards Jamie.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I scream, slamming my hands onto the table. The entire table shakes from the force, and everyone but Jamie looks up. This angers me more.

"The only problem is you right now."

"No you are! Who do you think you are kissing her like that?!" Jamie finally puts his utensils down and looks up. Finally a reaction!

"I can kiss her as much as I want. Unlike you she is currently single." He smirks, that annoying smirk that pisses me off to no ends. My mind leaves me as I lunge across the table, throwing my hands around his neck as we both go down to the floor. I hear his head make a sickening crunch against the ground as he throws his own fist into my face. My head gets thrown to the side, but I tighten my grip around his neck. I feel Alex and Ray prying my fingers from his throat and peeling my body off of him. I let go for a fraction of a second, throwing both boys away from me and begin to pile drive my fists into his ugly fuck face. All I can see is red; the punches he throws back feel like nothing compared to the rage that consumes me. I want him dead. I want him buried six feet under. Most of all, I want her to love me over him.

"What is going on out here?!" Jinx screams, fury radiating behind her. I try to shrug the two boys off; their arms fall away from my frame.

"Jinx I…" She gives me a glare and I instantly shut my mouth. She turns toward Gina who is busy addressing the head injury on Jamie.

"Gina what exactly happened." Gina looks in my direction with a disapproving look as she recalls the events up until she walked in. Through the whole story, I can see her face darken and the darkness radiating towards my direction. I do not even try to plead my case, but Basil recommends I leave immediately. As I walk out the door, I hear her tired voice that breaks my heart.

"I thought you were better than this Blue." She whispers the last words as I walk out into the afternoon summer air alone.


	13. Chapter 13: The Last Straw

**Chapter 13: The Last Straw**

***Hey everyone! Some cursing in here!***

**(His PoV)**

"What do you mean she got away?!" I hiss, smacking the body to the rust stained floor. It hits with a sickening crack to the first two ribs and a fracture within the skull. How on a normal day that would be a pleasing sound, but with the bad news rousing through my head, no amount of death could cure the anger burning inside. The measly little pest whimpers in pain; his bloody head of blonde remains facing towards the ground where his injury joins the rest of the stains.

"L..Lord Centaur r…repor…rted s…she got a…away…" The sound of wood splintering shakes a shimmer of fear through the hyena skin body I have provided him with; his tail twitching anxiously back and forth. A few of the guards in the surrounding area flinch slightly as if I would not notice, but otherwise pay no mind. A pin drop could sound as loud as the roaring flames within my ears. The sound of my heavy steel combat boots click angrily yet at a slow predator pace across the floor to the crumple body refusing to look up. My hand shoots out to his hair, gripping it with brute force, pulling him up to eye level where he still refuses to meet eye contact. Good. He knows his place around this manor.

"Bring me Centaur now," I growl out, slamming his body into the ground. He wails out a shrill, high pitch scream echoing off the cobblestone walls. A noise that is least displeasing to my ears. My boot holds his neck in place as he screams to spare him; he will never make such a degrading sound again. I can feel the sickening smile form on my face as I respond back.

"No. It will certainly not happen again." His screams are gurgled for a brief second as the cracking of the spinal cord breaks into his windpipe and through the skin of his neck. Blood squirts out at a fast pace, pooling around the teen with fear expression plastered forever under his dead eyes. I spin to one guard, pointing to the dead body on the floor.

"You will clean this up. And you," I spin to another guard stationed to my left. "You will bring Centaur to me this instant." He bows, bolting for the door as if his life depends on it. It does. I sit back within my throne, watching as the guard cleans the mess as if it was a cup of spilt milk. Those who disobey me die. Those who let out a shriek of pain end in a painful death. And those, the worst of them all, who dare to rebel against me will be damned to the deepest pit of Dante's hell.

"You rang _your highness_?" A familiar voice chimes in; an all familiar smugness lining the air. I smirk.

"Yes you _lowly peasant_ I did ring for you."

"I am hurt. Truly. I am your right hand man not a mere peasant!" We both laugh, a familiar face taking his seat next to mine. Centaur, a childhood friend who, like my ambitions wishes for more power and I, the scientist I am, gave it to him. We were next door neighbors, constantly playing and harassing the local children of our area. That is, until a young brunette came into our lives. She is beautiful, slowly going through the stages of aging with grace of a goddess, never once a flaw to ruin her complexion.

"So you called me in here for the status report right?" Centaur's voice brings me back from my thoughts. I nod, waiting to hear it from his lips.

"I have found her just like you said on a small island called Flower Bud Village. She seems to distance herself with most of the townspeople but I think she is catching on to knowing we are watching her." I nod again, knowing this much information. She is not a dumb creature but in fact an intelligent butterfly. Oh how I wish my beautiful little creature would remain by my side instead of fleeing like that.

"I…I almost had her. But then, something happened. She began to _glow_."

"_Glow_?" He nods gravely, unsure but has an idea who did it: her rotten sister Athena. Athena is the bane of all evil, attempts to keep my love from truly loving me. My poor dear was devastated when I had to break the news of her sister not surviving the infusions.

"Her sister gave her the power to fend me off. Most likely the infusion Athena received became active when she died rather than letting her live."

"Fascinating," I breathe, taking a mental note to check the files again. A frown seeps its way to my face.

"But that also means my girl is much stronger than when she was first here." Centaur nods thoughtfully, but refuses to speak what is on his mind.

"Is there any way to capture her without more critical damage?" Centaur thinks for a moment, realization lighting up his eyes.

"There is rumor she is smitten with a guy on the island. Some ranch worker by the name of Blue. Not much about him but a mere peasant working with his family. Roughly twenty years old with a younger sister roughly eighteen years old and a forty year old father. Dirty blonde hair, slightly tanned, and has a bit of a temper on him especially when it comes to the girl." He smirks from his metal notes.

"Bottom line: an easy catch to draw her out." I smirk, feeling the wheels turn slowly in my mind. A weak catch and her weak heart to draw my love out without any further harm. Her body shall heal naturally from Centaur's attacks, but who is to say a porcelain doll should have any more damage if it can be avoided?

"Shall we begin the capture now?"

"No." I pause. "Strike out at a time no one will notice. A large gathering perhaps, where one person's _disappearance_ will go unnoticed." He bows, a sadistic smile matching my own as he walks out of the throne room. A picture of a beautiful sleeping angel sits next to the throne in an elegant black wire frame. The familiar face of a small, vibrant girl smiles up in the family photo. Her eyes shine vividly with a swirl of caramel and chocolate.

_'Soon my darling we shall be reunited.'_

**(Jinx's PoV)**

A chill runs up my spine, a foreboding feeling seeping into the air.

"Are you okay?"Basil asks from his position at the cutting board. His hair is neatly combed to the left side and out of his face. A hand is slightly raised with a chef knife in mid chop of the tomato beneath it. The typical baby blue 'Kiss the Cook' apron hangs around his neck with splotches of tomato juice and flour.

"Just a…chill." I continue to cut the green pepper on my board, feeling a presence leering down from an unknown location.

"Are you feeling okay? Was _it_ enough?" The feeling of warmth ran over my tongue at the familiar taste, creating a burning need to have it once again.

"Yeah," I pant, forcing the cravings back into the dark pits of my mind. Basil sits a comforting hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"You are better than him Jinx. It is just the things he infused you with that is all."

"…Yeah…" The afternoon proceeds on with silence other than the occasional barking from Avery or violent outburst from Ray on the lake. After the incident at the hospital, Basil demanded that I should live with them. Of course I openly rejected the idea, but once Ray got into the fray of the battle and insists, well…it is two against one.

A silent, almost inaudible rap hits the door causing a fit of barking from Avery.

"Oh shush Avery," I scold the puppy playfully. Basil chuckles from the corner of the kitchen.

"Sounds like our guests are here for lunch."

"Jinx honey!" Gina throws herself through the door right into me, casing not only an ambush from her but from Avery as well.

"Avery! You betrayed me!" I laugh as the pup slimes both faces. Our laughter fills the air with a happy note, until another voice breaks in the merriment.

"Um…is Jinx here?" My body stiffens at the voice and Gina's grip instantly tightens in an attempt to hide my body.

"Nope you must have just missed her," Gina sings, remaining in her position on the floor. A pair of footsteps from across the room echo towards the door, stopping within a few feet of my head.

"What do you want Blue?" I can hear the harsh snip in his voice, but to the untrained ear, it sounds like a casual question. Blue fidgets in his spot, remaining in place with most likely a determine look plastered on his face.

"Just…to talk to her…" He sighs. "Gina I know you are hiding her under there. Please I would just like a moment." Gina moves uncomfortably on top of me, finally allowing the light to blind my eyes. I sit up, glancing around as the dark shadow people become the familiar faces I know. Even the one face I wish not to see. He extends his hand out to help me stand up, but I brush it away and stand. Basil gives a wary glance, Alex practically glaring from his spot in the doorway, and Gina looking like Blue should be squished like a bug. Even Avery, much to my surprise, sat close by with a glare.

"Fine," I grumble, walking out the open door. Alex grasps my hand lightly, giving a look to say he would be listening. I nod, heading up to the peak of the mountain with Blue slowly scurrying behind, tail between his legs. The sun is high in the sky, burning bright rays into the perfect clear sea blue day. Birds chirp from nearby pine trees, both a mating and singing calls. There is a gentle breeze brushing the summer grass by, allowing some relief to the heat.

"Jinx I…" I hold my hand up, slowly turning to face the man who has broken my heart on multiple occasions. The man who has caused multiple problems and now wants to apologize for it.

"Before you continue that phrase I need to know. Why?" I can see in his eyes the sudden shock of the calmness of my voice. There is calculation, a constant changing of answers before settling on the right one. His lips part slightly as if to speak, but no sound utters out. A pink tongue licks each lip nervously.

"Look," he finally grits his teeth together in aggravation. His head is poised towards the ground with a hard look on his face.

"I like you. Hell I might even love you! But…Ann is someone special to me as well. She is my childhood friend sine we were in diapers. It is only natural for me to have feelings for her as well and well…she returns the feelings." Blue turns toward me with a look of battle within his turquoise eyes, the eyes I have seen in so many different shades of emotions. He walks forward, his eyes never leaving my gaze. I can feel his hands slipping through mine gently and loosely as if I was a china doll.

"I do not know how you feel about me Jinx. Please…tell me how you feel." I stare dumbstruck at his face for the first time in a long time. If he had asked when the blossoming spring air struck hard with the petals of love, I might have told him I liked him back. After the chain of events, it leaves my heart to wonder if I truly like him or not.

"Blue…I…"

"Jinx! Lunch is ready! Come down before your food gets cold!" Basil calls up from the base of the hill. I can see him giving Blue a slight glare, then a smile before walking away. In the distance you can hear Basil telling the well earned news to Ray who exclaims loudly how happy he is.

"Let us go to lunch. We can talk about this later." Blue drops my hands abruptly, making his way down the hill to Basil's cabin. I let out a breath I did not know I was holding, finally allowing the awkward moment to dissipate.

_'Do I like Blue? Let alone love him?'_ I thought about how I first felt on the island when first greetings were done. At the time, my stomach was in knots, butterflies swarming into every part of it. When he and Ann shared a meal, I felt as if I wanted to rip her a new one.

**_'I like Jamie better anyway sister dear. Blue may be hot, but cowboys…'_** Athena lets out a low whistle of appreciation in my head. I roll my eyes, tapping my noggin as if she would feel it.

_'Keep off for this matter sister. I need a clear head but thank you for your fascination with cowboys.'_ I can hear her laughing lightly like wind chimes, fading into the back of my mind.

"Yo." A voice startles me out of the conversation with my sister. I spin around, coming face to face with yet another part of my complication.

"H…hey." I reply, feeling the butterflies form within my stomach. Jamie smirks, shoving both hands in his pocket. His face is back to the colors it should be and although his hands are still slightly bent out of shape, he can work with them a bit it appears. The wind blows his purple strands in a perfect line stuck under the cowboy hat that looks like it can be taken easily by the wind. His shirt is a simple black wife beater clinging desperately to the abs he produces underneath. His baggy blue jeans hang underneath with matching black cowboy work boots.

**_'He looks so yummy! Let me out! I will kiss him back from last time!'_** Athena squeals in delight, hearts radiating from every corner. I can practically see her struggling against my barrier to get out and claim Jamie's heart.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" Jamie glances around at the ground; a smirk forms as a smart ass remark passes his lips.

"Are you a cow? Cause all I see here to eat is grass and that is not food for humans." Fire burns under the skin of my face as I turn away with a 'humph!'.

"I meant in Basil's cabin there is lunch. But since you want to be a smart ass maybe I should leave you out here to graze." A shadow looms over, blocking the sun from my face. A rough yet gentle touch strays around my waist, grazing it slightly but not fully settling. In the background of my mind I can hear Athena screaming about how great he is, but it is just gone with the wind. The scene is set with a perfect clear summer day, not to hot with a slight cooling breeze. Flowers already in bloom swirl and dance with the wind bringing a floral scent to the air. A man, gently holding is woman as if she were a delicate flower ready to wilt at the slightest wrong touch.

"Jinx," His voice brushes the rim of my ear; the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect as a shiver passes down my spine. I turn my head slightly, glancing up only to gape. Jamie looks down with a small smile on his face. It is one of those rare smiles that when it happens, it takes the breath right out of you. The ground just falls out from under my feet. He begins to lean down and I bend my head in response, feeling my face fuse up like a tomato, eyes squeezed shut. A feather brush of something soft hits my forehead and his shadow leans away. I look up, peeking out from behind the eyelids to see his usual smirk back in place once more. Jamie removes his hands from my waist and spins on his heels, beginning his descend down the hill.

"Was that a yes?" I call to his retreating figure. He stops in midstride, turning slightly with the same smirk plastered on his face and utters one word.

"Hn."

"I invited Jamie to lunch," I smile awkwardly as we stand in the open doorway. Everyone gives a questioning glance except Gina who beams a bright smile. Alex merely shrugs; Ray is too busy gawking at the food to notice, but Basil and Blue both stare at me. Basil has a look that says "We will talk later" while Blue is seething with rage. Jamie takes notice to the fired up boy and gently places a hand on my waist. I can feel the fire burning underneath my skin only fueling Blue's desire to murder more. Basil raises a questioning eyebrow, a playful smirk on his face. The blush deepens.

"Hope I am not intruding." Jamie flashes a smirk Blue's way, tension quickly escalating.

"Of course not! Come! Have a seat next to Jinx!" Gina moves over one seat to allow Jamie in next to me, of course the seat is right across from Blue. We sit down, helping ourselves to the food ahead. Knowing I hate fish, a perfect medium-rare burger sits happily on my plate with a bucket full of fries. As the bun slips into my fingertips, I can feel the juice slipping into the bread soaking it through. My mouth instantly salivates. I take a bite and an audible moan slips out from the back of my throat. The burger practically melts with its juiciness mix of salt, pepper, and some garlic seasoning. There is a spike of heat from the slices of pepper jack cheese melted on top only to be slightly muddled by the taste of mozzarella.

Everyone at the table lets out a small laugh much to my embarrassing expense. I throw a fry in my mouth, missing about half of it as it sticks out from my mouth. Jamie quickly leans over, barely touching my lips as he bites the other end of the French fry off.

"It is good." He smiles, continuing to eat his food. Gina gives two thumbs up with a light blush before she too returns to her meal. I do not look up from my burger, knowing Blue is digging Jamie's grave and wondering why I did not freak out. This continues on for awhile with Jamie stealing food from me until the meal is done.

"Excuse me," I breathe out, feeling queasy all of a sudden. Basil stands up with me, ushering me to the back master bed room. He closes the door, leading to the bathroom where he knows what is going to happen next. I kneel down in front of the white porcelain throne, Basil holding my hair back. The feeling rises, running up my ribcage and up past my breastbone until the contents of my stomach spill out into the awaiting toilet. Thick, black liquid runs out at a rapid pace; images burning through my skin in an intricate pattern I know all too well. I continue to heave out the liquid until it finishes the first round, allowing air to fill my lungs.

"Ah shit." I curse.

Time passes. I could not tell you how long I spent emptying everything and then acid from my stomach. The images burn the top layer of my skin like branding, tracing circlets around the neck, wrist, and ankles. They are black as night, swirls like the sea tracing and connecting together in one link. Various shades of purple and blue are splotched across my ashen face; my lips tint with a deathly pale grey.

Basil sits patiently behind me, rubbing circles on my back. With each passing he washes the vomit off my face with a damp cloth right before the next round hits.

I just hope, for the sake of Blue and Jamie that this passes soon.

**(Blue's PoV)**

I cannot help but to glare as Jamie steals yet another kiss from Jinx. What infuriates me more is her lack of reaction to it. It is as if this has happened before. The mere thought of that burns the already burning fire higher up. I can see the smug little bastard smirking at me from the other side of the table to purposely wave her in my face. As if to say "You cannot have her but I on the other hand can."

I can see Jinx's face pale all of a sudden, voiding of all color and life. She looks as stiff as a board and Basil picks on it instantly, pushing his food away.

"Excuse me," she stands up, Basil going with her into the back room. The door to the bedroom shuts, and instantly I can feel some sort of rage overflow towards Jamie.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I scream, slamming my hands onto the table. The entire table shakes from the force, and everyone but Jamie looks up. This angers me more.

"The only problem is you right now."

"No you are! Who do you think you are kissing her like that?!" Jamie finally puts his utensils down and looks up. Finally a reaction!

"I can kiss her as much as I want. Unlike you she is currently single." He smirks, that annoying smirk that pisses me off to no ends. My mind leaves me as I lunge across the table, throwing my hands around his neck as we both go down to the floor. I hear his head make a sickening crunch against the ground as he throws his own fist into my face. My head gets thrown to the side, but I tighten my grip around his neck. I feel Alex and Ray prying my fingers from his throat and peeling my body off of him. I let go for a fraction of a second, throwing both boys away from me and begin to pile drive my fists into his ugly fuck face. All I can see is red; the punches he throws back feel like nothing compared to the rage that consumes me. I want him dead. I want him buried six feet under. Most of all, I want her to love me over him. Alex and Ray keep the punches at bay; a disapproving look promptly stares in my direction once I have a second to cool the red away.

The table is split in two, wooden spikes jetting down into the floor from the break. The lunch made splatters in between the cracked table into one conglomerate mess. I glance at Basil who merely shakes his head as he begins to pick up the white shards that use to be the dining plates. When did he get here?

"What is going on out here?!" Jinx screams, fury radiating behind her. I try to shrug the two boys off; their arms fall away from my frame. She is in a different outfit now, a black hoodie covers her arms and neck while a long pair of overly sized pajama bottoms cover her toned legs. Her face, although not as pale as it had been still remains void without color. In fact, it is a deep purple and blue as if I had beaten her up instead of Jamie.

"Jinx I…" She gives me a glare and I instantly shut my mouth. She turns toward Gina who is busy addressing the head injury on Jamie.

"Gina what exactly happened." Gina looks in my direction with a disapproving look as she recalls the events up until she walked in. Through the whole story, I can see her face darken and the darkness radiating towards my direction. I do not even try to plead my case, but Basil recommends I leave immediately. As I walk out the door, I hear her tired voice that breaks my heart.

"I thought you were better than this Blue." She whispers the last words as I walk out into the afternoon summer air alone.

I walk alone in the dark towards the only sanctuary I have ever known. The Moonlit bar. Where booze never judges you and the bartender is a beautiful angel by the name of Eve. Although she is not interested in the low farmer class here, she always listens despite the number of drinks through my system. The little bell chimes as I push the wooden door into the air condition building. Dark wood paneling lines the floor with stools and chairs matching in similar color. Wallpaper hangs up around the room, but it is of little interest right now. The shining bar with another random occupant glows with an intense light as my safe haven.

Eve, noticing my arrival with her sharp ruby red eyes shakes up a purple concoction in a metal shaker, pouring it into a cocktail stemware adorned with a fresh cut lime slice. With every sip, I can taste the bitter fruit slide down my pallet morph into a sweet finish on my taste buds. She says no words as I down one after another, drowning out any chances I have left.

She is _done_ with me.

She _does not_ love me.

I am a _major_ ass.

I lost all of her respect and trust.

The most important thought, the one that makes the tears brim to my eyes assaults any other words that wish to form.

She _cares_ for the little fuck Jamie.

Time is illusive. I could not tell what time it is or who has come and gone. The only thing I remember is stumbling into the night and right into my bed. Something feels amiss in the air, I can remember that, and a new face that would not take their eyes off me.


End file.
